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Sample records for human mdm2 correlates

  1. Novel insights about the MDM2/MDM4 heterodimer

    OpenAIRE

    Moretti, Fabiola

    2015-01-01

    MDM2 (mouse double minute 2 homolog) and MDM4 (double minute 4 human homolog, also known as MDMX) inhibit the activity of tumor protein p53 (TP53, best known as p53) through their heterodimerization. New evidence indicates that under stress conditions the heterodimer is modified, leading to different activities of the single molecules. In particular, following lethal DNA damage, MDM2 and MDM4 dissociate and MDM4 promotes the stabilization of homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) an...

  2. Downregulation of MDM2 expression by RNAi inhibits LoVo human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells growth and the treatment of LoVo cells with mdm2siRNA3 enhances the sensitivity to cisplatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Yan; Sun Ping; Sun Lichun; Liu Guoyi; Chen Guohua; Shang Lihua; Wu Hongbo; Hu Jing; Li Yue; Mao Yinling; Sui Guangjie; Sun Xiwen

    2006-01-01

    To investigate the biological effect of mdm2 in human colorectal adenocarcinoma LoVo cells, three mdm2siRNA constructions were recombinated and transient transfected into human colorectal adenocarcinoma LoVo cells with low differentiation character in vitro. The results showed that mdm2siRNA3 reduced mRNA level of mdm2 and protein level of mdm2, leading to proliferation inhibition on LoVo cells, and reduced tumor growth in nude mice. It was found that depletion of MDM2 in this pattern promoted apoptosis of LoVo cells and Cisplatin (DDP) treated in the mdm2siRNA3 transfected cell population would result in a substantial decrease by MTT colorimetry. Decreasing the MDM2 protein level in LoVo cells by RNAi could significantly inhibit tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo, which indicated that mdm2 gene played a definite role in the development and aggressiveness of human colon carcinoma. It also could be a therapeutic target in colorectal carcinoma. The synergistic activation of RNAi and cell toxicity agents indicated that the combination of chemotherapy and gene therapy will be a promising approach in the future

  3. Human glioblastoma multiforme: p53 reactivation by a novel MDM2 inhibitor.

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    Barbara Costa

    Full Text Available Cancer development and chemo-resistance are often due to impaired functioning of the p53 tumor suppressor through genetic mutation or sequestration by other proteins. In glioblastoma multiforme (GBM, p53 availability is frequently reduced because it binds to the Murine Double Minute-2 (MDM2 oncoprotein, which accumulates at high concentrations in tumor cells. The use of MDM2 inhibitors that interfere with the binding of p53 and MDM2 has become a valid approach to inhibit cell growth in a number of cancers; however little is known about the efficacy of these inhibitors in GBM. We report that a new small-molecule inhibitor of MDM2 with a spirooxoindolepyrrolidine core structure, named ISA27, effectively reactivated p53 function and inhibited human GBM cell growth in vitro by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In immunoincompetent BALB/c nude mice bearing a human GBM xenograft, the administration of ISA27 in vivo activated p53, inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in tumor tissue. Significantly, ISA27 was non-toxic in an in vitro normal human cell model and an in vivo mouse model. ISA27 administration in combination with temozolomide (TMZ produced a synergistic inhibitory effect on GBM cell viability in vitro, suggesting the possibility of lowering the dose of TMZ used in the treatment of GBM. In conclusion, our data show that ISA27 releases the powerful antitumor capacities of p53 in GBM cells. The use of this MDM2 inhibitor could become a novel therapy for the treatment of GBM patients.

  4. Mdm2 overexpression and p14(ARF) inactivation are two mutually exclusive events in primary human lung tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eymin, Béatrice; Gazzeri, Sylvie; Brambilla, Christian; Brambilla, Elisabeth

    2002-04-18

    Pathways involving p53 and pRb tumor suppressor genes are frequently deregulated during lung carcinogenesis. Through its location at the interface of these pathways, Mdm2 can modulate the function of both p53 and pRb genes. We have examined here the pattern of expression of Mdm2 in a series of 192 human lung carcinomas of all histological types using both immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses and four distinct antibodies mapping different epitopes onto the Mdm2 protein. Using Immunohistochemistry (IHC), Mdm2 was overexpressed as compared to normal lung in 31% (60 out of 192) of all tumors analysed, whatever their histological types. Western blotting was performed on 28 out of the 192 tumoral samples. Overexpression of p85/90, p74/76 and p57 Mdm2 isoforms was detected in 18% (5 out of 28), 25% (7 out of 28) and 39% (11 out of 28) of the cases respectively. Overall, overexpression of at least one isoform was observed in 14 out of 28 (50%) lung tumors and concomittant overexpression of at least two isoforms in 7 out of 28 (25%) cases. A good concordance (82%) was observed between immunohistochemical and Western blot data. Interestingly, a highly significant inverse relationship was detected between p14(ARF) loss and Mdm2 overexpression either in NSCLC (P=0.0089) or in NE lung tumors (P1 ratio was correlated with a high grade phenotype among NE tumors overexpressing Mdm2 (P=0.0021). Taken together, these data strongly suggest that p14(ARF)and Mdm2 act on common pathway(s) to regulate p53 and/or pRb-dependent or independent functions and that the Mdm2 : p14(ARF) ratio might act as a rheostat in modulating the activity of both proteins.

  5. Analysis of MDM2 and MDM4 single nucleotide polymorphisms, mRNA splicing and protein expression in retinoblastoma.

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    Justina McEvoy

    Full Text Available Retinoblastoma is a childhood cancer of the developing retina that begins in utero and is diagnosed in the first years of life. Biallelic RB1 gene inactivation is the initiating genetic lesion in retinoblastoma. The p53 gene is intact in human retinoblastoma but the pathway is believed to be suppressed by increased expression of MDM4 (MDMX and MDM2. Here we quantify the expression of MDM4 and MDM2 mRNA and protein in human fetal retinae, primary retinoblastomas, retinoblastoma cell lines and several independent orthotopic retinoblastoma xenografts. We found that MDM4 is the major p53 antagonist expressed in retinoblastoma and in the developing human retina. We also discovered that MDM4 protein steady state levels are much higher in retinoblastoma than in human fetal retinae. This increase would not have been predicted based on the mRNA levels. We explored several possible post-transcriptional mechanisms that may contribute to the elevated levels of MDM4 protein. A proportion of MDM4 transcripts are alternatively spliced to produce protein products that are reported to be more stable and oncogenic. We also discovered that a microRNA predicted to target MDM4 (miR191 was downregulated in retinoblastoma relative to human fetal retinae and a subset of samples had somatic mutations that eliminated the miR-191 binding site in the MDM4 mRNA. Taken together, these data suggest that post-transcriptional mechanisms may contribute to stabilization of the MDM4 protein in retinoblastoma.

  6. Mdm2 Deficiency Suppresses MYCN-Driven Neuroblastoma Tumorigenesis In Vivo

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    Zaowen Chen

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Neuroblastoma is derived from neural crest precursor components of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system and accounts for more than 15% of all pediatric cancer deaths. A clearer understanding of the molecular basis of neuroblastoma is required for novel therapeutic approaches to improve morbidity and mortality. Neuroblastoma is uniformly p53 wild type at diagnosis and must overcome p53-mediated tumor suppression during pathogenesis. Amplification of the MYCN oncogene correlates with the most clinically aggressive form of the cancer, and MDM2, a primary inhibitor of the p53 tumor suppressor, is a direct transcriptional target of, and positively regulated by, both MYCN and MYCC. We hypothesize that MDM2 contributes to MYCN-driven tumorigenesis helping to ameliorate p53-dependent apoptotic oncogenic stress during tumor initiation and progression. To study the interaction of MYCN and MDM2, we generated an Mdm2 haploinsufficient transgenic animal model of neuroblastoma. In Mdm2+/-MYCN transgenics, tumor latency and animal survival are remarkably extended, whereas tumor incidence and growth are reduced. Analysis of the Mdm2/p53 pathway reveals remarkable p53 stabilization counterbalanced by epigenetic silencing of the p19Arf gene in the Mdm2 haploinsufficient tumors. In human neuroblastoma xenograft models, conditional small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of MDM2 in cells expressing wild-type p53 dramatically suppresses tumor growth in a p53-dependent manner. In summary, we provided evidence for a crucial role for direct inhibition of p53 by MDM2 and suppression of the p19ARF/p53 axis in neuroblastoma tumorigenesis, supporting the development of therapies targeting these pathways.

  7. Np9, a cellular protein of retroviral ancestry restricted to human, chimpanzee and gorilla, binds and regulates ubiquitin ligase MDM2

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    Heyne, Kristina; Kölsch, Kathrin; Bruand, Marine; Kremmer, Elisabeth; Grässer, Friedrich A; Mayer, Jens; Roemer, Klaus

    2015-01-01

    Humans and primates are long-lived animals with long reproductive phases. One factor that appears to contribute to longevity and fertility in humans, as well as to cancer-free survival, is the transcription factor and tumor suppressor p53, controlled by its main negative regulator MDM2. However, p53 and MDM2 homologs are found throughout the metazoan kingdom from Trichoplacidae to Hominidae. Therefore the question arises, if p53/MDM2 contributes to the shaping of primate features, then through which mechanisms. Previous findings have indicated that the appearances of novel p53-regulated genes and wild-type p53 variants during primate evolution are important in this context. Here, we report on another mechanism of potential relevance. Human endogenous retrovirus K subgroup HML-2 (HERV-K(HML-2)) type 1 proviral sequences were formed in the genomes of the predecessors of contemporary Hominoidea and can be identified in the genomes of Nomascus leucogenys (gibbon) up to Homo sapiens. We previously reported on an alternative splicing event in HERV-K(HML-2) type 1 proviruses that can give rise to nuclear protein of 9 kDa (Np9). We document here the evolution of Np9-coding capacity in human, chimpanzee and gorilla, and show that the C-terminal half of Np9 binds directly to MDM2, through a domain of MDM2 that is known to be contacted by various cellular proteins in response to stress. Np9 can inhibit the MDM2 ubiquitin ligase activity toward p53 in the cell nucleus, and can support the transactivation of genes by p53. Our findings point to the possibility that endogenous retrovirus protein Np9 contributes to the regulation of the p53-MDM2 pathway specifically in humans, chimpanzees and gorillas. PMID:26103464

  8. MDM2-MDM4 molecular interaction investigated by atomic force spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moscetti, Ilaria; Teveroni, Emanuela; Moretti, Fabiola; Bizzarri, Anna Rita; Cannistraro, Salvatore

    Murine double minute 2 (MDM2) and 4 (MDM4) are known as the main negative regulators of p53, a tumor suppressor. They are able to form heterodimers that are much more effective in the downregulation of p53. Therefore, the MDM2-MDM4 complex could be a target for promising therapeutic restoration of p53 function. To this aim, a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlining the heterodimerization is needed. The kinetic and thermodynamic characterization of the MDM2-MDM4 complex was performed with two complementary approaches: atomic force spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance. Both techniques revealed an equilibrium dissociation constant (KD ) in the micromolar range for the MDM2-MDM4 heterodimer, similar to related complexes involved in the p53 network. Furthermore, the MDM2-MDM4 complex is characterized by a relatively high free energy, through a single energy barrier, and by a lifetime in the order of tens of seconds. New insights into the MDM2-MDM4 interaction could be highly important for developing innovative anticancer drugs focused on p53 reactivation.

  9. Correlation between expression of p53, p21/WAF1, and MDM2 proteins and their prognostic significance in primary hepatocellular carcinoma

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    Fu Jia

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Tumor Protein p53 (p53, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (p21/WAF1, and murine double minute 2 (MDM2 participate in the regulation of cell growth. Altered expression of these gene products has been found in malignant tumors and has been associated with poor prognosis. Our aim was to investigate the expression of the 3 proteins in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC and their prognostic significance. Methods We examined p53, p21/WAF1, and MDM2 expression in 181 pairs of HCC tissues and the adjacent hepatic tissues by performing immunohistochemistry and examined the expression of the 3 proteins in 7 pairs of HCC tissues and the adjacent hepatic tissues by using western blot analysis. Results The expression of p53, p21/WAF1, and MDM2 in the HCC tissues was significantly higher than those in the adjacent hepatic tissues (P P = 0.008. A statistical correlation was observed between expression of p53 and p21/WAF1 (R = 0.380, P = 0.000, p53 and MDM2 (R = 0.299, P = 0.000, p21/WAF1 and MDM2 (R = 0.285, P = 0.000 in 181 liver tissues adjacent to the tumor. Patients with a low pathologic grade HCC (I+II had a higher tendency to express p53 on tumor cells than the patients with high pathologic grade HCC (III+IV (P = 0.007. Survival analysis showed that positive p21/WAF1 expression or/and negative MDM2 expression in HCC was a predictor of better survival of patients after tumor resection (P Conclusions The proteins p53, p21/WAF1, and MDM2 were overexpressed in all the HCC cases in this study, and p53 and p21/WAF1 overexpression were positively correlated. The expression of p21/WAF1 and MDM2 can be considered as 2 useful indicators for predicting the prognosis of HCC.

  10. Autoantibody to MDM2: A Potential Serological Marker of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

    OpenAIRE

    Liu, Yuan; Dai, Liping; Liu, Weihong; Shi, Guixiu; Zhang, Jianying

    2015-01-01

    Introduction. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is one of the systemic autoimmune diseases characterized by the polyclonal autoantibody production. The human homologue of the mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) is well known as the negative regulator of p53. MDM2 has been reported to be overexpressed in SLE animal model and to promote SLE. Since abnormally expressed proteins can induce autoimmune response, anti-MDM2 autoantibody was examined in SLE patients. Methods. Anti-MDM2 antibody in sera from...

  11. Oncogenic c-Myc-induced lymphomagenesis is inhibited non-redundantly by the p19Arf–Mdm2–p53 and RP–Mdm2–p53 pathways

    OpenAIRE

    Meng, X; Carlson, NR; Dong, J; Zhang, Y

    2015-01-01

    The multifaceted oncogene c-Myc plays important roles in the development and progression of human cancer. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that the p19Arf–Mdm2–p53 and the ribosomal protein (RP)–Mdm2–p53 pathways are both essential in preventing oncogenic c-Myc-induced tumorigenesis. Disruption of each pathway individually by p19Arf deletion or by Mdm2C305F mutation, which disrupts RP-Mdm2 binding, accelerates Eμ-myc transgene-induced pre-B/B-cell lymphoma in mice at seemingly s...

  12. MDM2MDM4 molecular interaction investigated by atomic force spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moscetti, Ilaria; Teveroni, Emanuela; Moretti, Fabiola; Bizzarri, Anna Rita; Cannistraro, Salvatore

    2016-01-01

    Murine double minute 2 (MDM2) and 4 (MDM4) are known as the main negative regulators of p53, a tumor suppressor. They are able to form heterodimers that are much more effective in the downregulation of p53. Therefore, the MDM2MDM4 complex could be a target for promising therapeutic restoration of p53 function. To this aim, a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlining the heterodimerization is needed. The kinetic and thermodynamic characterization of the MDM2MDM4 complex was performed with two complementary approaches: atomic force spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance. Both techniques revealed an equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) in the micromolar range for the MDM2MDM4 heterodimer, similar to related complexes involved in the p53 network. Furthermore, the MDM2MDM4 complex is characterized by a relatively high free energy, through a single energy barrier, and by a lifetime in the order of tens of seconds. New insights into the MDM2MDM4 interaction could be highly important for developing innovative anticancer drugs focused on p53 reactivation. PMID:27621617

  13. MDM2MDM4 molecular interaction investigated by atomic force spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance

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    Moscetti I

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Ilaria Moscetti,1 Emanuela Teveroni,2,3 Fabiola Moretti,3 Anna Rita Bizzarri,1 Salvatore Cannistraro1 1Biophysics and Nanoscience Centre, Department DEB, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy; 2Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Università Cattolica di Roma, Roma, Italy; 3Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR, Roma, Italy Abstract: Murine double minute 2 (MDM2 and 4 (MDM4 are known as the main negative regulators of p53, a tumor suppressor. They are able to form heterodimers that are much more effective in the downregulation of p53. Therefore, the MDM2MDM4 complex could be a target for promising therapeutic restoration of p53 function. To this aim, a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlining the heterodimerization is needed. The kinetic and thermodynamic characterization of the MDM2MDM4 complex was performed with two complementary approaches: atomic force spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance. Both techniques revealed an equilibrium dissociation constant (KD in the micromolar range for the MDM2MDM4 heterodimer, similar to related complexes involved in the p53 network. Furthermore, the MDM2MDM4 complex is characterized by a relatively high free energy, through a single energy barrier, and by a lifetime in the order of tens of seconds. New insights into the MDM2MDM4 interaction could be highly important for developing innovative anticancer drugs focused on p53 reactivation. Keywords: MDM2, MDM4, atomic force spectroscopy, surface plasmon resonance

  14. The relationship between MDM2 expression and tumor thickness and invasion in primary cutaneous malignant melanoma

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    Parvin Rajabi

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Malignant melanoma is the most invasive cutaneous tumor which is associated with an incredibly high mortality rate. The most reliable histological factors associated with melanoma prognosis are tumor thickness- measured by the Breslow index- and invasion depth- measured by Clark level. Murine double minute 2 (MDM2 gene inhibits p53-dependent apoptosis. An increase in MDM2 expression has been found in many tumors. This study aimed to investigate MDM2 expression and its correlation with tumor thickness and invasion level in malignant melanoma. Materials and Methods: This study evaluated paraffin blocks from 43 randomly selected patients with primary cutaneous melanoma who referred to the main university pathology center in Isfahan, Iran. MDM2 expression rate was assessed via immunohistochemical techniques and hematoxylin and eosin staining to determine tumor thickness and invasion level. Correlations between MDM2 expression and tumor thickness and invasion were analyzed using Spearman′s correlation coefficient in SPSS 17 . Results: The mean age of patients was 61.2 ± 15 years. Men and women constituted 55.8% and 44.2% of the participants, respectively. The rate of MDM2 positivity was 28.9%. MDM2 expression was directly associated with tumor thickness (r = 0.425; p = 0.002 and weakly with invasion level (r = 0.343; p = 0.01. Conclusions: Despite the low MDM2 expression rate observed in this study, direct relationships between MDM2 positivity and tumor thickness and invasion level were identified. MDM2 expression can thus be suggested as a potential new predictive prognostic factor.

  15. Preclinical efficacy of the MDM2 inhibitor RG7112 in MDM2 amplified and TP53 wild-type glioblastomas

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    Verreault, Maite; Schmitt, Charlotte; Goldwirt, Lauriane; Pelton, Kristine; Haidar, Samer; Levasseur, Camille; Guehennec, Jeremy; Knoff, David; Labussiere, Marianne; Marie, Yannick; Ligon, Azra H.; Mokhtari, Karima; Hoang-Xuan, Khe; Sanson, Marc; Alexander, Brian M; Wen, Patrick Y.; Delattre, Jean-Yves; Ligon, Keith L.; Idbaih, Ahmed

    2016-01-01

    Rationale p53 pathway alterations are key molecular events in glioblastoma (GBM). MDM2 inhibitors increase expression and stability of p53 and are presumed to be most efficacious in patients with TP53 wild-type and MDM2-amplified cancers. However, this biomarker hypothesis has not been tested in patients or patient-derived models for GBM. Methods We performed a preclinical evaluation of RG7112 MDM2 inhibitor, across a panel of 36 patient-derived GBM cell lines (PDCLs), each genetically characterized according to their P53 pathway status. We then performed a pharmacokinetic (PK) profiling of RG7112 distribution in mice and evaluated the therapeutic activity of RG7112 in orthotopic and subcutaneous GBM models. Results MDM2-amplified PDCLs were 44 times more sensitive than TP53 mutated lines that showed complete resistance at therapeutically attainable concentrations (avg. IC50 of 0.52 μM vs 21.9 μM). MDM4 amplified PDCLs were highly sensitive but showed intermediate response (avg. IC50 of 1.2 μM), whereas response was heterogeneous in TP53 wild-type PDCLs with normal MDM2/4 levels (avg. IC50 of 7.7 μM). In MDM2-amplified lines, RG7112 restored p53 activity inducing robust p21 expression and apoptosis. PK profiling of RG7112-treated PDCL intracranial xenografts demonstrated that the compound significantly crosses the blood-brain and the blood-tumor barriers. Most importantly, treatment of MDM2-amplified/TP53 wild-type PDCL-derived model (subcutaneous and orthotopic) reduced tumor growth, was cytotoxic, and significantly increased survival. Conclusion These data strongly support development of MDM2 inhibitors for clinical testing in MDM2-amplified GBM patients. Moreover, significant efficacy in a subset of non-MDM2 amplified models suggests that additional markers of response to MDM2 inhibitors must be identified. PMID:26482041

  16. Mdm2 Function in Tumorigenesis

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Lozano, Guillermina

    1998-01-01

    .... Analysis if the embryos indicate that they are dying by apoptosis. Analysis of mice null for p53 and the presence or absence of the mdm2 gene indicate a longer tumor latency in p53-/-mdm2+/- mice...

  17. Simulating molecular mechanisms of the MDM2-mediated regulatory interactions: a conformational selection model of the MDM2 lid dynamics.

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    Gennady M Verkhivker

    Full Text Available Diversity and complexity of MDM2 mechanisms govern its principal function as the cellular antagonist of the p53 tumor suppressor. Structural and biophysical studies have demonstrated that MDM2 binding could be regulated by the dynamics of a pseudo-substrate lid motif. However, these experiments and subsequent computational studies have produced conflicting mechanistic models of MDM2 function and dynamics. We propose a unifying conformational selection model that can reconcile experimental findings and reveal a fundamental role of the lid as a dynamic regulator of MDM2-mediated binding. In this work, structure, dynamics and energetics of apo-MDM2 are studied as a function of posttranslational modifications and length of the lid. We found that the dynamic equilibrium between "closed" and "semi-closed" lid forms may be a fundamental characteristic of MDM2 regulatory interactions, which can be modulated by phosphorylation, phosphomimetic mutation as well as by the lid size. Our results revealed that these factors may regulate p53-MDM2 binding by fine-tuning the thermodynamic equilibrium between preexisting conformational states of apo-MDM2. In agreement with NMR studies, the effect of phosphorylation on MDM2 interactions was more pronounced with the truncated lid variant that favored the thermodynamically dominant closed form. The phosphomimetic mutation S17D may alter the lid dynamics by shifting the thermodynamic equilibrium towards the ensemble of "semi-closed" conformations. The dominant "semi-closed" lid form and weakened dependence on the phosphorylation seen in simulations with the complete lid can provide a rationale for binding of small p53-based mimetics and inhibitors without a direct competition with the lid dynamics. The results suggested that a conformational selection model of preexisting MDM2 states may provide a robust theoretical framework for understanding MDM2 dynamics. Probing biological functions and mechanisms of MDM2

  18. MDM2 Associates with Polycomb Repressor Complex 2 and Enhances Stemness-Promoting Chromatin Modifications Independent of p53

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wienken, Magdalena; Dickmanns, Antje; Nemajerova, Alice

    2016-01-01

    The MDM2 oncoprotein ubiquitinates and antagonizes p53 but may also carry out p53-independent functions. Here we report that MDM2 is required for the efficient generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from murine embryonic fibroblasts, in the absence of p53. Similarly, MDM2 depletion...... in the context of p53 deficiency also promoted the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells and diminished clonogenic survival of cancer cells. Most of the MDM2-controlled genes also responded to the inactivation of the Polycomb Repressor Complex 2 (PRC2) and its catalytic component EZH2. MDM2 physically...... associated with EZH2 on chromatin, enhancing the trimethylation of histone 3 at lysine 27 and the ubiquitination of histone 2A at lysine 119 (H2AK119) at its target genes. Removing MDM2 simultaneously with the H2AK119 E3 ligase Ring1B/RNF2 further induced these genes and synthetically arrested cell...

  19. Low Prevalence of TP53 Mutations and MDM2 Amplifications in Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma

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    Simona Ognjanovic

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The tumor suppressor gene TP53 is the most commonly mutated gene in human cancer. The reported prevalence of mutations in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS varies widely, with recent larger studies suggesting that TP53 mutations in pediatric RMS may be extremely rare. Overexpression of MDM2 also attenuates p53 function. We have performed TP53 mutation/MDM2 amplification analyses in the largest series analyzed thus far, including DNA isolated from 37 alveolar and 38 embryonal RMS tumor samples obtained from the Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN. Available samples were frozen tumor tissues (N=48 and histopathology slides. TP53 mutations in exons 4–9 were analyzed by direct sequencing in all samples, and MDM2 amplification analysis was performed by differential PCR on a subset of 22 samples. We found only one sample (1/75, 1.3% carrying a TP53 mutation at codon 259 (p.D259Y and no MDM2 amplification. Two SNPs in the TP53 pathway, associated with accelerated tumor onset in germline TP53 mutation carriers, (TP53 SNP72 (rs no. 1042522 and MDM2 SNP309 (rs no. 2279744, were not found to confer earlier tumor onset. In conclusion, we confirm the extremely low prevalence of TP53 mutations/MDM2 amplifications in pediatric RMS (1.33% and 0%, respectively. The possible inactivation of p53 function by other mechanisms thus remains to be elucidated.

  20. MDM2 Associates with Polycomb Repressor Complex 2 and Enhances Stemness-Promoting Chromatin Modifications Independent of p53.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wienken, Magdalena; Dickmanns, Antje; Nemajerova, Alice; Kramer, Daniela; Najafova, Zeynab; Weiss, Miriam; Karpiuk, Oleksandra; Kassem, Moustapha; Zhang, Yanping; Lozano, Guillermina; Johnsen, Steven A; Moll, Ute M; Zhang, Xin; Dobbelstein, Matthias

    2016-01-07

    The MDM2 oncoprotein ubiquitinates and antagonizes p53 but may also carry out p53-independent functions. Here we report that MDM2 is required for the efficient generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from murine embryonic fibroblasts, in the absence of p53. Similarly, MDM2 depletion in the context of p53 deficiency also promoted the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells and diminished clonogenic survival of cancer cells. Most of the MDM2-controlled genes also responded to the inactivation of the Polycomb Repressor Complex 2 (PRC2) and its catalytic component EZH2. MDM2 physically associated with EZH2 on chromatin, enhancing the trimethylation of histone 3 at lysine 27 and the ubiquitination of histone 2A at lysine 119 (H2AK119) at its target genes. Removing MDM2 simultaneously with the H2AK119 E3 ligase Ring1B/RNF2 further induced these genes and synthetically arrested cell proliferation. In conclusion, MDM2 supports the Polycomb-mediated repression of lineage-specific genes, independent of p53. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. MDM2 beyond cancer: podoptosis, development, inflammation, and tissue regeneration.

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    Ebrahim, Martrez; Mulay, Shrikant R; Anders, Hans-Joachim; Thomasova, Dana

    2015-11-01

    Murine double minute (MDM)-2 is an intracellular molecule with diverse biological functions. It was first described to limit p53-mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, hence, gain of function mutations are associated with malignancies. This generated a rationale for MDM2 being a potential therapeutic target in cancer therapy. Meanwhile, several additional functions and pathogenic roles of MDM2 have been identified that either enforce therapeutic MDM2 blockade or raise caution about potential side effects. MDM2 is also required for organ development and tissue homeostasis because unopposed p53 activation leads to p53-overactivation-dependent cell death, referred to as podoptosis. Podoptosis is caspase-independent and, therefore, different from apoptosis. The mitogenic role of MDM2 is also needed for wound healing upon tissue injury, while MDM2 inhibition impairs re-epithelialization upon epithelial damage. In addition, MDM2 has p53-independent transcription factor-like effects in nuclear factor-kappa beta (NFκB) activation. Therefore, MDM2 promotes tissue inflammation and MDM2 inhibition has potent anti-inflammatory effects in tissue injury. Here we review the biology of MDM2 in the context of tissue development, homeostasis, and injury and discuss how the divergent roles of MDM2 could be used for certain therapeutic purposes. MDM2 blockade had mostly anti-inflammatory and anti-mitotic effects that can be of additive therapeutic efficacy in inflammatory and hyperproliferative disorders such as certain cancers or lymphoproliferative autoimmunity, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or crescentic glomerulonephritis.

  2. Designing dual inhibitors of Mdm2/MdmX: Unexpected coupling of water with gatekeeper Y100/99.

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    Lee, Xiong An; Verma, Chandra; Sim, Adelene Y L

    2017-08-01

    Mdm2 and MdmX share high structural similarity in their N-terminal domains, yet dual inhibitors are challenging to design due to differences in the conformations of the binding pockets, and notably of the proposed gatekeeper residue, Y100/99. Analysis of crystal structures and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of complexes of Mdm2 and MdmX resulted in the identification of a water molecule with a long residence time that appears to be modulated by the conformation of Y100/99. These observations lead us to speculate that dual inhibitors either (i) stabilize both Mdm2 and MdmX with Y100/99 in the open conformation typically seen in complexes of Mdm2 with p53, or (ii) the dual inhibitors are agnostic to the conformation of Y100/99. The recently developed potent dual inhibitory stapled peptide Atsp7041 appears to be agnostic to the conformation of the gatekeeper residue. Proteins 2017; 85:1493-1506. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. The role of MDM2 and MDM4 in breast cancer development and prevention.

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    Haupt, Sue; Vijayakumaran, Reshma; Miranda, Panimaya Jeffreena; Burgess, Andrew; Lim, Elgene; Haupt, Ygal

    2017-02-01

    The major cause of death from breast cancer is not the primary tumour, but relapsing, drug-resistant, metastatic disease. Identifying factors that contribute to aggressive cancer offers important leads for therapy. Inherent defence against carcinogens depends on the individual molecular make-up of each person. Important molecular determinants of these responses are under the control of the mouse double minute (MDM) family: comprised of the proteins MDM2 and MDM4. In normal, healthy adult cells, the MDM family functions to critically regulate measured, cellular responses to stress and subsequent recovery. Proper function of the MDM family is vital for normal breast development, but also for preserving genomic fidelity. The MDM family members are best characterized for their negative regulation of the major tumour suppressor p53 to modulate stress responses. Their impact on other cellular regulators is emerging. Inappropriately elevated protein levels of the MDM family are highly associated with an increased risk of cancer incidence. Exploration of the MDM family members as cancer therapeutic targets is relevant for designing tailored anti-cancer treatments, but successful approaches must strategically consider the impact on both the target cancer and adjacent healthy cells and tissues. This review focuses on recent findings pertaining to the role of the MDM family in normal and malignant breast cells. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, IBCB, SIBS, CAS.

  4. Serdemetan antagonizes the Mdm2-HIF1α axis leading to decreased levels of glycolytic enzymes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jason A Lehman

    Full Text Available Serdemetan (JNJ-26854165, an antagonist to Mdm2, was anticipated to promote the activation of p53. While regulation of p53 by Mdm2 is important, Mdm2 also regulates numerous proteins involved in diverse cellular functions. We investigated if Serdemetan would alter the Mdm2-HIF1α axis and affect cell survival in human glioblastoma cells independently of p53. Treatment of cells with Serdemetan under hypoxia resulted in a decrease in HIF1α levels. HIF1α downstream targets, VEGF and the glycolytic enzymes (enolase, phosphoglycerate kinase1/2, and glucose transporter 1, were all decreased in response to Serdemetan. The involvement of Mdm2 in regulating gene expression of glycolytic enzymes raises the possibility of side effects associated with therapeutically targeting Mdm2.

  5. Mdm2 and MdmX inhibitors for the treatment of cancer : a patent review (2011-present)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zak, Krzysztof; Pecak, Aleksandra; Rys, Barbara; Wladyka, Benedykt; Doemling, Alexander; Weber, Lutz; Holak, Tad A.; Dubin, Grzegorz

    Introduction: One of the hallmarks of cancer cells is the inactivation of the p53 pathway either due to mutations in the p53 gene or over-expression of negative regulators, Mdm2 and/or MdmX. Pharmacological disruption of the Mdm2/X-p53 interaction to restore p53 activity is an attractive concept,

  6. Pharmacological targeting of Mdm2: Rationale and perspectives for radiosensitization; Ciblage pharmacologique de Mdm2: bases biologiques et perspectives de radiosensibilisation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chargari, C. [Upres EA 27-10, laboratoire de radiobiologie, institut de cancerologie Gustave-Roussy, 114, rue edouard-Vaillant, 94805 Villejuif (France); Service d' oncologie radiotherapie, hopital d' instruction des armees du Val-de-Grace, 74, boulevard de Port-Royal, 75230 Paris cedex 5 (France); Leteur, C.; Ferte, C.; Deberne, M.; Lahon, B.; Rivera, C. [Upres EA 27-10, laboratoire de radiobiologie, institut de cancerologie Gustave-Roussy, 114, rue edouard-Vaillant, 94805 Villejuif (France); Bourhis, J.; Deutsch, E. [Upres EA 27-10, laboratoire de radiobiologie, institut de cancerologie Gustave-Roussy, 114, rue edouard-Vaillant, 94805 Villejuif (France); UMR 1030, universite Paris-Sud 11, 114, rue edouard-Vaillant, 94805 Villejuif (France)

    2011-07-15

    The central role of p53 after exposure to ionizing radiation has been widely demonstrated. Mdm2, the main cellular regulator of p53, is a promising target for radiosensitizing purposes. In this article, we review the most recent data on the pharmacological targeting of Mdm2, with focus on strategies of radiosensitization. Antitumor activity of Mdm2 inhibitors has been related with activation of p53-dependant apoptosis, action on DNA repair systems, and anti-angiogenic activity. Preliminary data suggested a synergic interaction between Mdm2 inhibitors and ionizing radiations. However, no clinical data has been published yet on the pharmacological targeting of Mdm2. Given their new mechanisms of action, these new molecules should be subject to careful clinical assessment. Although promising, these strategies expose to unexpected toxicities. (authors)

  7. Role of the Mdm2 SNIP 309 Polymorphism in Gastric Mucosal Morphologic Patterns of Patients with Helicobacter pylori Associated Gastritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tongtawee, Taweesak; Dechsukhum, Chavaboon; Leeanansaksiri, Wilairat; Kaewpitoon, Soraya; Kaewpitoon, Natthawut; Loyd, Ryan A; Matrakool, Likit; Panpimanmas, Sukij

    2016-01-01

    The tumor suppressor p53 is as a regulator of cell proliferation, apoptosis and many other biological processes as well as external and internal stress responses. Mdm2 SNIP309 is a negative regulator of 53. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the role of the Mdm2 SNIP 309 polymorphism in the gastric mucosal morphological patterns in patients with Helicobacter pylori associated gastritis. A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2014 through November 2015. Biopsy specimens were obtained from patients and infection was proven by positive histology. Gastric mucosa specimens were sent to the Molecular Genetics Unit, Institute of Medicine, Suranaree University of Technology where they were tested by molecular methods to detect the patterns of Mdm2 SNIP 309 polymorphism using the real-time PCR hybridization probe method. The results were analyzed and correlated with gastric mucosal morphological patterns by using C-NBI endoscopy. A total of 300 infected patients were enrolled and gastric mucosa specimens were collected. In this study the percentage of Mdm2 SNIP 309 T/T homozygous and Mdm2 SNIP309 G/T heterozygous was 78% and 19 % respectively whereas Mdm2 SNIP309 G/G homozygous was 3%. Mdm2 SNIP 309 T/T homozygous and Mdm2 SNIP309 G/T heterozygosity correlated with type 1 to type 3 gastric mucosal morphological patterns (P<0.01) whereas Mdm2 SNIP309 G/G homozygous correlated with type 4 and type 5 (P<0.01). Our study finds the frequency of Mdm2 SNIP309 G/G in a Thai population is very low, and suggests that this can explain ae Thailand enigma. Types 1 to type 3 are the most common gastric mucosal morphological patterns according to the unique genetic polymorphism of MDM2 SNIP 309 in the Thai population.

  8. The Clustered, Regularly Interspaced, Short Palindromic Repeats-associated Endonuclease 9 (CRISPR/Cas9)-created MDM2 T309G Mutation Enhances Vitreous-induced Expression of MDM2 and Proliferation and Survival of Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Yajian; Ma, Gaoen; Huang, Xionggao; D'Amore, Patricia A; Zhang, Feng; Lei, Hetian

    2016-07-29

    The G309 allele of SNPs in the mouse double minute (MDM2) promoter locus is associated with a higher risk of cancer and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), but whether SNP G309 contributes to the pathogenesis of PVR is to date unknown. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated endonuclease (Cas) 9 from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpCas9) can be harnessed to manipulate a single or multiple nucleotides in mammalian cells. Here we delivered SpCas9 and guide RNAs using dual adeno-associated virus-derived vectors to target the MDM2 genomic locus together with a homologous repair template for creating the mutation of MDM2 T309G in human primary retinal pigment epithelial (hPRPE) cells whose genotype is MDM2 T309T. The next-generation sequencing results indicated that there was 42.51% MDM2 G309 in the edited hPRPE cells using adeno-associated viral CRISPR/Cas9. Our data showed that vitreous induced an increase in MDM2 and subsequent attenuation of p53 expression in MDM2 T309G hPRPE cells. Furthermore, our experimental results demonstrated that MDM2 T309G in hPRPE cells enhanced vitreous-induced cell proliferation and survival, suggesting that this SNP contributes to the pathogenesis of PVR. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  9. Insight into interaction mechanism of the inhibitor pDI5W with MDM2 based on molecular dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Jianzhong; Liang Zhiqiang; Wang Wei; Liu Jinqing; Zhang Qinggang; Liu Xiaoyang

    2012-01-01

    The p53-MDM2 interaction has been an important target of drug design curing cancers. In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation coupled with molecular mechanics/Poisson Boltzmann surface area method (MM-PBSA) was performed to calculate the binding free energy of peptide inhibitor pDI6W to MDM2. The results show that van der Waals energy is the dominant factor of the pDI6W— MDM2 interaction. Cross-correlation matrix calculated suggests that the main motion of the residues in MMDM2 induced by the inhibitor binding is anti-correlation motion. The calculations of residue-residue interactions between pDI6W and MDM2 not only prove that five residues Phe19', Trp22', Trp23', Leu26' and Thr27' from pDI6W can produce strong interaction with MDM2, but also show that CH-π, CH-CH and π-π interactions drive the binding of pDI6W in the hydrophobic cleft of MDM2. This study can provide theoretical helps for anti-cancer drug designs. (authors)

  10. Characterization of cancer-associated missense mutations in MDM2

    OpenAIRE

    Chauhan, Krishna M.; Ramakrishnan, Gopalakrishnan; Kollareddy, Madhusudhan; Martinez, Luis A.

    2015-01-01

    MDM2 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that binds the N-terminus of p53 and promotes its ubiquitin-dependent degradation. Elevated levels of MDM2 due to overexpression or gene amplification can contribute to tumor development by suppressing p53 activity. Since MDM2 is an oncogene, we explored the possibility that other genetic lesions, namely missense mutations, might alter its activities. We selected mutations in MDM2 that reside in one of the 4 key regions of the protein: p53 binding domain, acidic...

  11. The organization and expression of the mdm2 gene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Montes De Oca Luna, R.; Tabor, A.D.; Eberspaecher, H. [Univ. of Texas, Houston, TX (United States)] [and others

    1996-05-01

    The mdm2 gene encodes a zinc finger protein that negatively regulates p53 function by binding and masking the p53 transcriptional activation domain. Two different promoters control expression of mdm2, one of which is also transactivated by p53. We cloned and characterized the mdm2 gene from a murine 129 library. It contained at least 12 exons and spanned approximately 25 kb of DNA. Sequencing of the mdm2 gene revealed three nucleotide differences that resulted in amino acid substitutions in the previously published mdm2 sequence. Sequences of normal BalbC/J DNA and the original cosmid clone is isolated from the 3T3DM cell line revealed that they are identical, suggesting that the published sequence is in error at these three positions. In addition, we analyzed the expression pattern of mdm2 and found ubiquitous low-level expression throughout embryo development and in adult tissues. Analysis of mRNA from numerous tissues for several mdm2 spliced variants that had been identified in the transformed 3T3DM cell line revealed that these variants could not be detected in the developing embryo or in adult tissues. 25 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.

  12. Identification of functional DNA variants in the constitutive promoter region of MDM2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lalonde Marie-Eve

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Although mutations in the oncoprotein murine double minute 2 (MDM2 are rare, MDM2 gene overexpression has been observed in several human tumors. Given that even modest changes in MDM2 levels might influence the p53 tumor suppressor signaling pathway, we postulated that sequence variation in the promoter region of MDM2 could lead to disregulated expression and variation in gene dosage. Two promoters have been reported for MDM2; an internal promoter (P2, which is located near the end of intron 1 and is p53-responsive, and an upstream constitutive promoter (P1, which is p53-independent. Both promoter regions contain DNA variants that could influence the expression levels of MDM2, including the well-studied single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP SNP309, which is located in the promoter P2; i.e., upstream of exon 2. In this report, we screened the promoter P1 for DNA variants and assessed the functional impact of the corresponding SNPs. Using the dbSNP database and genotyping validation in individuals of European descent, we identified three common SNPs (−1494 G > A; indel 40 bp; and −182 C > G. Three major promoter haplotypes were inferred by using these three promoter SNPs together with rs2279744 (SNP309. Following subcloning into a gene reporter system, we found that two of the haplotypes significantly influenced MDM2 promoter activity in a haplotype-specific manner. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments indicated that the 40 bp insertion/deletion variation is causing the observed allelic promoter activity. This study suggests that part of the variability in the MDM2 expression levels could be explained by allelic p53-independent P1 promoter activity.

  13. Elucidation of Ligand-Dependent Modulation of Disorder-Order Transitions in the Oncoprotein MDM2.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan A Bueren-Calabuig

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Numerous biomolecular interactions involve unstructured protein regions, but how to exploit such interactions to enhance the affinity of a lead molecule in the context of rational drug design remains uncertain. Here clarification was sought for cases where interactions of different ligands with the same disordered protein region yield qualitatively different results. Specifically, conformational ensembles for the disordered lid region of the N-terminal domain of the oncoprotein MDM2 in the presence of different ligands were computed by means of a novel combination of accelerated molecular dynamics, umbrella sampling, and variational free energy profile methodologies. The resulting conformational ensembles for MDM2, free and bound to p53 TAD (17-29 peptide identify lid states compatible with previous NMR measurements. Remarkably, the MDM2 lid region is shown to adopt distinct conformational states in the presence of different small-molecule ligands. Detailed analyses of small-molecule bound ensembles reveal that the ca. 25-fold affinity improvement of the piperidinone family of inhibitors for MDM2 constructs that include the full lid correlates with interactions between ligand hydrophobic groups and the C-terminal lid region that is already partially ordered in apo MDM2. By contrast, Nutlin or benzodiazepinedione inhibitors, that bind with similar affinity to full lid and lid-truncated MDM2 constructs, interact additionally through their solubilizing groups with N-terminal lid residues that are more disordered in apo MDM2.

  14. Mice with a Mutation in the Mdm2 Gene That Interferes with MDM2/Ribosomal Protein Binding Develop a Defect in Erythropoiesis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takuya Kamio

    Full Text Available MDM2, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, is an important negative regulator of tumor suppressor p53. In turn the Mdm2 gene is a transcriptional target of p53, forming a negative feedback loop that is important in cell cycle control. It has recently become apparent that the ubiquitination of p53 by MDM2 can be inhibited when certain ribosomal proteins, including RPL5 and RPL11, bind to MDM2. This inhibition, and the resulting increase in p53 levels has been proposed to be responsible for the red cell aplasia seen in Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA and in 5q- myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS. DBA and 5q- MDS are associated with inherited (DBA or acquired (5q- MDS haploinsufficiency of ribosomal proteins. A mutation in Mdm2 causing a C305F amino acid substitution blocks the binding of ribosomal proteins. Mice harboring this mutation (Mdm2C305F, retain a normal p53 response to DNA damage, but lack the p53 response to perturbations in ribosome biogenesis. While studying the interaction between RP haploinsufficiency and the Mdm2C305F mutation we noticed that Mdm2C305F homozygous mice had altered hematopoiesis. These mice developed a mild macrocytic anemia with reticulocytosis. In the bone marrow (BM, these mice showed a significant decrease in Ter119hi cells compared to wild type (WT littermates, while no decrease in the number of mature erythroid cells (Ter119hiCD71low was found in the spleen, which showed compensated bone marrow hematopoiesis. In methylcellulose cultures, BFU-E colonies from the mutant mice were slightly reduced in number and there was a significant reduction in CFU-E colony numbers in mutant mice compared with WT controls (p < 0.01. This erythropoietic defect was abrogated by concomitant p53 deficiency (Trp53ko/ko. Further investigation revealed that in Mdm2C305F animals, there was a decrease in Lin-Sca-1+c-Kit+ (LSK cells, accompanied by significant decreases in multipotent progenitor (MPP cells (p < 0.01. Competitive BM repopulation experiments

  15. MDM2 Antagonists Counteract Drug-Induced DNA Damage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna E. Vilgelm

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Antagonists of MDM2-p53 interaction are emerging anti-cancer drugs utilized in clinical trials for malignancies that rarely mutate p53, including melanoma. We discovered that MDM2-p53 antagonists protect DNA from drug-induced damage in melanoma cells and patient-derived xenografts. Among the tested DNA damaging drugs were various inhibitors of Aurora and Polo-like mitotic kinases, as well as traditional chemotherapy. Mitotic kinase inhibition causes mitotic slippage, DNA re-replication, and polyploidy. Here we show that re-replication of the polyploid genome generates replicative stress which leads to DNA damage. MDM2-p53 antagonists relieve replicative stress via the p53-dependent activation of p21 which inhibits DNA replication. Loss of p21 promoted drug-induced DNA damage in melanoma cells and enhanced anti-tumor activity of therapy combining MDM2 antagonist with mitotic kinase inhibitor in mice. In summary, MDM2 antagonists may reduce DNA damaging effects of anti-cancer drugs if they are administered together, while targeting p21 can improve the efficacy of such combinations.

  16. MDM2 binds and inhibits vitamin D receptor

    OpenAIRE

    Heyne, Kristina; Heil, Tessa-Carina; Bette, Birgit; Reichrath, Jörg; Roemer, Klaus

    2015-01-01

    The E3 ubiquitin ligase and transcriptional repressor MDM2 is a potent inhibitor of the p53 family of transcription factors and tumor suppressors. Herein, we report that vitamin D receptor (VDR), another transcriptional regulator and probably, tumor suppressor, is also bound and inhibited by MDM2. This interaction was not affected by vitamin D ligand. VDR was ubiquitylated in the cell and its steady-state level was controlled by the proteasome. Strikingly, overproduced MDM2 reduced the level ...

  17. Structural effects and competition mechanisms targeting the interactions between p53 and MDM2 for cancer therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shu-Xia; Geng, Yi-Zhao; Yan, Shi-Wei

    2017-06-01

    Approximately half of all human cancers show normal TP53 gene expression but aberrant overexpression of MDM2 and/or MDMX. This fact suggests a promising cancer therapeutic strategy in targeting the interactions between p53 and MDM2/MDMX. To help realize the goal of developing effective inhibitors to disrupt the p53-MDM2/MDMX interaction, we systematically investigated the structural and interaction characteristics of p53 with inhibitors of its interactions with MDM2 and MDMX from an atomistic perspective using stochastic molecular dynamics simulations. We found that some specific α helices in the structures of MDM2 and MDMX play key roles in their binding to inhibitors, and that the hydrogen bond formed by the Trp23 residue of p53 with its counterpart in MDM2 or MDMX determines the dynamic competition processes of the disruption of the MDM2-p53 interaction and replacement of p53 from the MDM2-p53 complex in vivo. The results reported in this paper are expected to provide basic information for designing functional inhibitors and realizing new strategies of cancer gene therapy.

  18. miR-339-5p regulates the p53 tumor-suppressor pathway by targeting MDM2

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jansson, M D; Djodji Damas, Nkerorema; Lees, M

    2014-01-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate many key cancer-relevant pathways and may themselves possess oncogenic or tumor-suppressor functions. Consequently, miRNA dysregulation has been shown to be a prominent feature in many human cancers. The p53 tumor suppressor acts as a negative regulator of cell prolife...... tumor cells. Furthermore, we show that a negative correlation between miR-339-5p and MDM2 expression exists in human cancer, implying that the interaction is important for cancer development.Oncogene advance online publication, 2 June 2014; doi:10.1038/onc.2014.130....

  19. The p53-MDM2 network: from oscillations to apoptosis

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    PRAKASH KUMAR

    Apoptosis; cancer; cell cycle; MDM2 overexpression; tumour suppressor .... model of the p53-MDM2 negative feedback loop included an .... MDM2 overexpression, when subjected to nutlin-3 treatment. Some aspects of the model are similar to those ... A family of proteases termed caspases .... Implications for therapy; Proc.

  20. Auto-ubiquitination of Mdm2 Enhances Its Substrate Ubiquitin Ligase Activity*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranaweera, Ruchira S.; Yang, Xiaolu

    2013-01-01

    The RING domain E3 ubiquitin ligase Mdm2 is the master regulator of the tumor suppressor p53. It targets p53 for proteasomal degradation, restraining the potent activity of p53 and enabling cell survival and proliferation. Like most E3 ligases, Mdm2 can also ubiquitinate itself. How Mdm2 auto-ubiquitination may influence its substrate ubiquitin ligase activity is undefined. Here we show that auto-ubiquitination of Mdm2 is an activating event. Mdm2 that has been conjugated to polyubiquitin chains, but not to single ubiquitins, exhibits substantially enhanced activity to polyubiquitinate p53. Mechanistically, auto-ubiquitination of Mdm2 facilitates the recruitment of the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme. This occurs through noncovalent interactions between the ubiquitin chains on Mdm2 and the ubiquitin binding domain on E2s. Mutations that diminish the noncovalent interactions render auto-ubiquitination unable to stimulate Mdm2 substrate E3 activity. These results suggest a model in which polyubiquitin chains on an E3 increase the local concentration of E2 enzymes and permit the processivity of substrate ubiquitination. They also support the notion that autocatalysis may be a prevalent mode for turning on the activity of latent enzymes. PMID:23671280

  1. Structural Basis of Competitive Recognition of p53 and MDM2 by HAUSP/USP7: Implications for the Regulation of the p53-MDM2 Pathway.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Herpesvirus-associated ubiquitin-specific protease (HAUSP, also known as USP7, a deubiquitylating enzyme of the ubiquitin-specific processing protease family, specifically deubiquitylates both p53 and MDM2, hence playing an important yet enigmatic role in the p53-MDM2 pathway. Here we demonstrate that both p53 and MDM2 specifically recognize the N-terminal tumor necrosis factor-receptor associated factor (TRAF-like domain of HAUSP in a mutually exclusive manner. HAUSP preferentially forms a stable HAUSP-MDM2 complex even in the presence of excess p53. The HAUSP-binding elements were mapped to a peptide fragment in the carboxy-terminus of p53 and to a short-peptide region preceding the acidic domain of MDM2. The crystal structures of the HAUSP TRAF-like domain in complex with p53 and MDM2 peptides, determined at 2.3-A and 1.7-A resolutions, respectively, reveal that the MDM2 peptide recognizes the same surface groove in HAUSP as that recognized by p53 but mediates more extensive interactions. Structural comparison led to the identification of a consensus peptide-recognition sequence by HAUSP. These results, together with the structure of a combined substrate-binding-and-deubiquitylation domain of HAUSP, provide important insights into regulation of the p53-MDM2 pathway by HAUSP.

  2. MDM2 antagonist Nutlin-3a potentiates antitumour activity of cytotoxic drugs in sarcoma cell lines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lothe Ragnhild A

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Frequent failure and severe side effects of current sarcoma therapy warrants new therapeutic approaches. The small-molecule MDM2 antagonist Nutlin-3a activates the p53 pathway and efficiently induces apoptosis in tumours with amplified MDM2 gene and overexpression of MDM2 protein. However, the majority of human sarcomas have normal level of MDM2 and the therapeutic potential of MDM2 antagonists in this group is still unclear. We have investigated if Nutlin-3a could be employed to augment the response to traditional therapy and/or reduce the genotoxic burden of chemotherapy. Methods A panel of sarcoma cell lines with different TP53 and MDM2 status were treated with Nutlin-3a combined with Doxorubicin, Methotrexate or Cisplatin, and their combination index determined. Results Clear synergism was observed when Doxorubicin and Nutlin-3a were combined in cell lines with wild-type TP53 and amplified MDM2, or with Methotrexate in both MDM2 normal and amplified sarcoma cell lines, allowing for up to tenfold reduction of cytotoxic drug dose. Interestingly, Nutlin-3a seemed to potentiate the effect of classical drugs as Doxorubicin and Cisplatin in cell lines with mutated TP53, but inhibited the effect of Methotrexate. Conclusion The use of Nutlin in combination with classical sarcoma chemotherapy shows promising preclinical potential, but since clear biomarkers are still lacking, clinical trials should be followed up with detailed tumour profiling.

  3. A Unique Mdm2-Binding Mode of the 3-Pyrrolin-2-one- and 2-Furanone-Based Antagonists of the p53-Mdm2 Interaction

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Surmiak, Ewa; Twarda-Clapa, Aleksandra; Zak, Krzysztof M.; Musielak, Bogdan; Tomala, Marcin D.; Kubica, Katarzyna; Grudnik, Przemyslaw; Madej, Mariusz; Jablonski, Mateusz; Potempa, Jan; Kalinowska-Tluscik, Justyna; Dömling, Alexander; Dubin, Grzegorz; Holak, Tad A.

    2016-01-01

    The p53 pathway is inactivated in almost all types of cancer by mutations in the p53 encoding gene or overexpression of the p53 negative regulators, Mdm2 and/or Mdmx. Restoration of the p53 function by inhibition of the p53-Mdm2/Mdmx interaction opens up a prospect for a nongenotoxic anticancer

  4. MDM2 controls NRF2 antioxidant activity in prevention of diabetic kidney disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Weiying; Tian, Dan; Jia, Ye; Huang, Wenlin; Jiang, Mengnan; Wang, Junnan; Sun, Weixia; Wu, Hao

    2018-04-26

    Oxidative stress and P53 contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a master regulator of cellular antioxidant defense system, is negatively regulated by P53 and prevents DKD. Recent findings revealed an important role of mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) in protection against DKD. However, the mechanism remained unclear. We hypothesized that MDM2 enhances NRF2 antioxidant signaling in DKD given that MDM2 is a key negative regulator of P53. The MDM2 inhibitor nutlin3a elevated renal P53, inhibited NRF2 signaling and induced oxidative stress, inflammation, fibrosis, DKD-like renal pathology and albuminuria in the wild-type (WT) non-diabetic mice. These effects exhibited more prominently in nutlin3a-treated WT diabetic mice. Interestingly, nutlin3a failed to induce greater renal injuries in the Nrf2 knockout (KO) mice under both the diabetic and non-diabetic conditions, indicating that NRF2 predominantly mediates MDM2's action. On the contrary, P53 inhibition by pifithrin-α activated renal NRF2 signaling and the expression of Mdm2, and attenuated DKD in the WT diabetic mice, but not in the Nrf2 KO diabetic mice. In high glucose-treated mouse mesangial cells, P53 gene silencing completely abolished nutlin3a's inhibitory effect on NRF2 signaling. The present study demonstrates for the first time that MDM2 controls renal NRF2 antioxidant activity in DKD via inhibition of P53, providing MDM2 activation and P53 inhibition as novel strategies in the management of DKD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Expression of MDM2 mRNA, MDM2, P53 and P16 Proteins in Urothelial Lesions in the View of the WHO 4th Edition Guidelines as A Molecular Insight towards Personalized Medicine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olfat Hammam

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available AIM: Here we imposed a multimarker molecular panel composed of P53, MDM2 protein & mRNA & P16 with the identification of sensitive and specific cut offs among the Egyptian urothelial carcinomas bilharzial or not emphasize the pathological and molecular classifications, pathways and prognosis as a privilege for adjuvant therapy. METHODS: Three hundred and ten urothelial lesions were pathologically evaluated and grouped as follows: 50 chronic cystitis as benign, 240 urothelial carcinomas and 20 normal bladder tissue as a control. Immunohistochemistry for MDM Protein, P16 & p53 and In Situ Hybridization for MDM2mRNA were done. RESULTS: MDM2mRNA overexpression correlated with low grade low stage non invasive tumors, while P53 > 40% & p16 40% & P16 10% from high grade, high stage invasive urothelial carcinomas (with p53 > 40, p16 40 & p16 < 10%, together with the histopathological features can distinguish in situ urothelial lesions from dysplastic and atypical lesions.

  6. Synergistic cooperation of MDM2 and E2F1 contributes to TAp73 transcriptional activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kasim, Vivi, E-mail: vivikasim78@gmail.com [The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Huang, Can; Zhang, Jing; Jia, Huizhen; Wang, Yunxia [The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Yang, Li [The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); The 111 Project Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Miyagishi, Makoto [Molecular Composite Medicine Research Group, Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8566 (Japan); Wu, Shourong, E-mail: shourongwu@hotmail.com [The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); The 111 Project Laboratory of Biomechanics and Tissue Repair, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China)

    2014-07-04

    Highlights: • MDM2 is a novel positive regulator of TAp73 transcriptional activity. • MDM2 colocalizes together and physically interacts with E2F1. • Synergistic cooperation of MDM2 and E2F1 is crucial for TAp73 transcription. • MDM2 regulates TAp73 transcriptional activity in a p53-independent manner. - Abstract: TAp73, a structural homologue of p53, plays an important role in tumorigenesis. E2F1 had been reported as a transcriptional regulator of TAp73, however, the detailed mechanism remains to be elucidated. Here we reported that MDM2-silencing reduced the activities of the TAp73 promoters and the endogenous TAp73 expression level significantly; while MDM2 overexpression upregulated them. We further revealed that the regulation of TAp73 transcriptional activity occurs as a synergistic effect of MDM2 and E2F1, most probably through their physical interaction in the nuclei. Furthermore, we also suggested that MDM2 might be involved in DNA damage-induced TAp73 transcriptional activity. Finally, we elucidated that MDM2-silencing reduced the proliferation rate of colon carcinoma cells regardless of the p53 status. Our data show a synergistic effect of MDM2 and E2F1 on TAp73 transcriptional activity, suggesting a novel regulation pathway of TAp73.

  7. Synergistic cooperation of MDM2 and E2F1 contributes to TAp73 transcriptional activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasim, Vivi; Huang, Can; Zhang, Jing; Jia, Huizhen; Wang, Yunxia; Yang, Li; Miyagishi, Makoto; Wu, Shourong

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • MDM2 is a novel positive regulator of TAp73 transcriptional activity. • MDM2 colocalizes together and physically interacts with E2F1. • Synergistic cooperation of MDM2 and E2F1 is crucial for TAp73 transcription. • MDM2 regulates TAp73 transcriptional activity in a p53-independent manner. - Abstract: TAp73, a structural homologue of p53, plays an important role in tumorigenesis. E2F1 had been reported as a transcriptional regulator of TAp73, however, the detailed mechanism remains to be elucidated. Here we reported that MDM2-silencing reduced the activities of the TAp73 promoters and the endogenous TAp73 expression level significantly; while MDM2 overexpression upregulated them. We further revealed that the regulation of TAp73 transcriptional activity occurs as a synergistic effect of MDM2 and E2F1, most probably through their physical interaction in the nuclei. Furthermore, we also suggested that MDM2 might be involved in DNA damage-induced TAp73 transcriptional activity. Finally, we elucidated that MDM2-silencing reduced the proliferation rate of colon carcinoma cells regardless of the p53 status. Our data show a synergistic effect of MDM2 and E2F1 on TAp73 transcriptional activity, suggesting a novel regulation pathway of TAp73

  8. Mdm2 controls CREB-dependent transactivation and initiation of adipocyte differentiation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hallenborg, Philip; Feddersen, Søren; Francoz, S.

    2012-01-01

    The role of the E3 ubiquitin ligase murine double minute 2 (Mdm2) in regulating the stability of the p53 tumor suppressor is well documented. By contrast, relatively little is known about p53-independent activities of Mdm2 and the role of Mdm2 in cellular differentiation. Here we report a novel r...... in the myoblast cell line C2C12, it is conceivable that Mdm2 acts as a switch in cell fate determination. Cell Death and Differentiation (2012) 19, 1381-1389; doi:10.1038/cdd.2012.15; published online 2 March 2012...

  9. A Novel Interaction between TFII-I and Mdm2 with a Negative Effect on TFII-I Transcriptional Activity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kateřina Cetkovská

    Full Text Available Williams-Beuren syndrome-associated transcription factor TFII-I plays a critical regulatory role in bone and neural tissue development and in immunity, in part by regulating cell proliferation in response to mitogens. Mdm2, a cellular oncogene responsible for the loss of p53 tumor suppressor activity in a significant proportion of human cancers, was identified in this study as a new binding partner for TFII-I and a negative regulator of TFII-I-mediated transcription. These findings suggest a new p53-independent mechanism by which increased Mdm2 levels found in human tumors could influence cancer cells. In addition to that, we present data indicating that TFII-I is an important cellular regulator of transcription from the immediate-early promoter of human cytomegalovirus, a promoter sequence frequently used in mammalian expression vectors, including vectors for gene therapy. Our observation that Mdm2 over-expression can decrease the ability of TFII-I to activate the CMV promoter might have implications for the efficiency of experimental gene therapy based on CMV promoter-derived vectors in cancers with Mdm2 gene amplification.

  10. Chromatin-bound MDM2, a new player in metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riscal, Romain; Le Cam, Laurent; Linares, Laetitia K

    2016-01-01

    The oncoprotein MDM2 is recognized as a major negative regulator of the p53 tumor suppressor but growing evidence indicates that its oncogenic activities extend beyond p53. We show that MDM2 is recruited to chromatin independently of p53 to regulate a transcriptional program implicated in amino acid metabolism and redox homeostasis.

  11. ATM-dependent phosphorylation of Mdm2 on serine 395: role in p53 activation by DNA damage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maya, Ruth; Balass, Moshe; Kim, Seong-Tae; Shkedy, Dganit; Leal, Juan-Fernando Martinez; Shifman, Ohad; Moas, Miri; Buschmann, Thomas; Ronai, Ze'ev; Shiloh, Yosef; Kastan, Michael B.; Katzir, Ephraim; Oren, Moshe

    2001-01-01

    The p53 tumor suppressor protein, a key regulator of cellular responses to genotoxic stress, is stabilized and activated after DNA damage. The rapid activation of p53 by ionizing radiation and radiomimetic agents is largely dependent on the ATM kinase. p53 is phosphorylated by ATM shortly after DNA damage, resulting in enhanced stability and activity of p53. The Mdm2 oncoprotein is a pivotal negative regulator of p53. In response to ionizing radiation and radiomimetic drugs, Mdm2 undergoes rapid ATM-dependent phosphorylation prior to p53 accumulation. This results in a decrease in its reactivity with the 2A10 monoclonal antibody. Phage display analysis identified a consensus 2A10 recognition sequence, possessing the core motif DYS. Unexpectedly, this motif appears twice within the human Mdm2 molecule, at positions corresponding to residues 258–260 and 393–395. Both putative 2A10 epitopes are highly conserved and encompass potential phosphorylation sites. Serine 395, residing within the carboxy-terminal 2A10 epitope, is the major target on Mdm2 for phosphorylation by ATM in vitro. Mutational analysis supports the conclusion that Mdm2 undergoes ATM-dependent phosphorylation on serine 395 in vivo in response to DNA damage. The data further suggests that phosphorylated Mdm2 may be less capable of promoting the nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling of p53 and its subsequent degradation, thereby enabling p53 accumulation. Our findings imply that activation of p53 by DNA damage is achieved, in part, through attenuation of the p53-inhibitory potential of Mdm2. PMID:11331603

  12. Mdm2 Phosphorylation Regulates Its Stability and Has Contrasting Effects on Oncogene and Radiation-Induced Tumorigenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael I. Carr

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available ATM phosphorylation of Mdm2-S394 is required for robust p53 stabilization and activation in DNA-damaged cells. We have now utilized Mdm2S394A knockin mice to determine that phosphorylation of Mdm2-S394 regulates p53 activity and the DNA damage response in lymphatic tissues in vivo by modulating Mdm2 stability. Mdm2-S394 phosphorylation delays lymphomagenesis in Eμ-myc transgenic mice, and preventing Mdm2-S394 phosphorylation obviates the need for p53 mutation in Myc-driven tumorigenesis. However, irradiated Mdm2S394A mice also have increased hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell functions, and we observed decreased lymphomagenesis in sub-lethally irradiated Mdm2S394A mice. These findings document contrasting effects of ATM-Mdm2 signaling on p53 tumor suppression and reveal that destabilizing Mdm2 by promoting its phosphorylation by ATM would be effective in treating oncogene-induced malignancies, while inhibiting Mdm2-S394 phosphorylation during radiation exposure or chemotherapy would ameliorate bone marrow failure and prevent the development of secondary hematological malignancies.

  13. Chromatin-Bound MDM2 Regulates Serine Metabolism and Redox Homeostasis Independently of p53.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riscal, Romain; Schrepfer, Emilie; Arena, Giuseppe; Cissé, Madi Y; Bellvert, Floriant; Heuillet, Maud; Rambow, Florian; Bonneil, Eric; Sabourdy, Frédérique; Vincent, Charles; Ait-Arsa, Imade; Levade, Thierry; Thibaut, Pierre; Marine, Jean-Christophe; Portais, Jean-Charles; Sarry, Jean-Emmanuel; Le Cam, Laurent; Linares, Laetitia K

    2016-06-16

    The mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) oncoprotein is recognized as a major negative regulator of the p53 tumor suppressor, but growing evidence indicates that its oncogenic activities extend beyond p53. Here, we show that MDM2 is recruited to chromatin independently of p53 to regulate a transcriptional program implicated in amino acid metabolism and redox homeostasis. Identification of MDM2 target genes at the whole-genome level highlights an important role for ATF3/4 transcription factors in tethering MDM2 to chromatin. MDM2 recruitment to chromatin is a tightly regulated process that occurs during oxidative stress and serine/glycine deprivation and is modulated by the pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) metabolic enzyme. Depletion of endogenous MDM2 in p53-deficient cells impairs serine/glycine metabolism, the NAD(+)/NADH ratio, and glutathione (GSH) recycling, impacting their redox state and tumorigenic potential. Collectively, our data illustrate a previously unsuspected function of chromatin-bound MDM2 in cancer cell metabolism. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Nanoparticle-Mediated Rescue of p53 Through Targeted Degradation of MDM2

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Fischer, Nicholas; Rotello, Vincent M

    2004-01-01

    .... By incorporating traditional peptide inhibitors of mdm2 with mixed monolayer protected gold cluster nanoparticles, we hope to effect mdm2 denaturation on the nanoparticle surface, increase peptide...

  15. MDM2, p53 and pRb Expression Prior to Definitive Chemoradiotherapy in Esophageal Carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoon, Mee Sun; Nam, Taek Keun; Lee, Jae Hyuk; Cho, Sang Hee; Song, Ju Young; Ahn, Sung Ja; Chung, Ik Joo; Chung, Woong Ki; Nah, Byung Sik

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: This study evaluated the pretreatment expression patterns of MDM2, p53, and pRb proteins to determine if the expression patterns could predict the outcome of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and aid in the decisions for the selection of treatment modalities. Materials and Methods: Fifty-one patients that were treated with definitive hemoradiotherapy for stage I∼ IVa esohageal squamous cell carcinoma were selected for this study. Radiotherapy was administered with daily 1.8∼2 Gy fractions up to a median dose of 54 Gy for primary tumors, and with four cycles of cisplatin/5-fluorouracil chemotherapy that was administered every 4 weeks, the first two cycles of which were administered concurrently with radiotherapy. Expression of MDM2, p53, and pRb was investigated by immunohistochemical analysis using pretreatment biopsy specimens. Results: MDM2, p53, and pRb were detected with high immunoreactivity in 19.6%, 27.5%, and 66.7% of the patients, respectively. However, there was no significant correlation between expression of these factors and clinical outcome. By the use of multivariate analysis with nine covariates-age, tumor location, tumor length, stage, pathological response, clinical response, MDM2 expression, p53 expression, and pRb expression, only pathological response and stage were significant factors for cause-specific survival. Conclusion: Expression of MDM2, p53, and pRb was not found to be clinically significant for predicting outcomes after CCRT in this study. Further studies with a larger patient population and longer follow-up periods are needed to re-evaluate the expression pattern and to identify new predictors for CCRT response

  16. MDM2 and CDK4 amplifications are rare events in salivary duct carcinomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grünewald, Inga; Trautmann, Marcel; Busch, Alina; Bauer, Larissa; Huss, Sebastian; Schweinshaupt, Petra; Vollbrecht, Claudia; Odenthal, Margarete; Quaas, Alexander; Büttner, Reinhard; Meyer, Moritz F; Beutner, Dirk; Hüttenbrink, Karl-Bernd; Wardelmann, Eva; Stenner, Markus; Hartmann, Wolfgang

    2016-11-15

    Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is an aggressive adenocarcinoma of the salivary glands associated with poor clinical outcome. SDCs are known to carry TP53 mutations in about 50%, however, only little is known about alternative pathogenic mechanisms within the p53 regulatory network. Particularly, data on alterations of the oncogenes MDM2 and CDK4 located in the chromosomal region 12q13-15 are limited in SDC, while genomic rearrangements of the adjacent HMGA2 gene locus are well documented in subsets of SDCs. We here analyzed the mutational status of the TP53 gene, genomic amplification of MDM2, CDK4 and HMGA2 rearrangement/amplification as well as protein expression of TP53 (p53), MDM2 and CDK4 in 51 de novo and ex pleomorphic adenoma SDCs.25 of 51 cases were found to carry TP53 mutations, associated with extreme positive immunohistochemical p53 staining levels in 13 cases. Three out of 51 tumors had an MDM2 amplification, one of them coinciding with a CDK4 amplification and two with a HMGA2 rearrangement/amplification. Two of the MDM2 amplifications occurred in the setting of a TP53 mutation. Two out of 51 cases showed a CDK4 amplification, one synchronously being MDM2 amplified and the other one displaying concurrent low copy number increases of both, MDM2 and HMGA2.In summary, we here show that subgroups of SDCs display genomic amplifications of MDM2 and/or CDK4, partly in association with TP53 mutations and rearrangement/amplification of HMGA2. Further research is necessary to clarify the role of chromosomal region 12q13-15 alterations in SDC tumorigenesis and their potential prognostic and therapeutic relevance.

  17. Structural Exploration and Conformational Transitions in MDM2 upon DHFR Interaction from Homo sapiens: A Computational Outlook for Malignancy via Epigenetic Disruption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, Arundhati; Ray, Sujay

    2016-01-01

    Structural basis for exploration into MDM2 and MDM2-DHFR interaction plays a vital role in analyzing the obstruction in folate metabolism, nonsynthesis of purines, and further epigenetic regulation in Homo sapiens. Therefore, it leads to suppression of normal cellular behavior and malignancy. This has been earlier documented via yeast two-hybrid assays. So, with a novel outlook, this study explores the molecular level demonstration of the best satisfactory MDM2 model selection after performing manifold modeling techniques. Z-scores and other stereochemical features were estimated for comparison. Further, protein-protein docking was executed with MDM2 and the experimentally validated X-ray crystallographic DHFR. Residual disclosure from the best suited simulated protein complex disclosed 18 side chain and 3 ionic interactions to strongly accommodate MDM2 protein into the pocket-like zone in DHFR due to the positive environment by charged residues. Lysine residues from MDM2 played a predominant role. Moreover, evaluation from varied energy calculations, folding rate, and net area for solvent accessibility implied the active participation of MDM2 with DHFR. Fascinatingly, conformational transitions from coils to helices and β-sheets after interaction with DHFR affirm the conformational strength and firmer interaction of human MDM2-DHFR. Therefore, this probe instigates near-future clinical research and interactive computational investigations with mutations.

  18. Structural Exploration and Conformational Transitions in MDM2 upon DHFR Interaction from Homo sapiens: A Computational Outlook for Malignancy via Epigenetic Disruption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arundhati Banerjee

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Structural basis for exploration into MDM2 and MDM2-DHFR interaction plays a vital role in analyzing the obstruction in folate metabolism, nonsynthesis of purines, and further epigenetic regulation in Homo sapiens. Therefore, it leads to suppression of normal cellular behavior and malignancy. This has been earlier documented via yeast two-hybrid assays. So, with a novel outlook, this study explores the molecular level demonstration of the best satisfactory MDM2 model selection after performing manifold modeling techniques. Z-scores and other stereochemical features were estimated for comparison. Further, protein-protein docking was executed with MDM2 and the experimentally validated X-ray crystallographic DHFR. Residual disclosure from the best suited simulated protein complex disclosed 18 side chain and 3 ionic interactions to strongly accommodate MDM2 protein into the pocket-like zone in DHFR due to the positive environment by charged residues. Lysine residues from MDM2 played a predominant role. Moreover, evaluation from varied energy calculations, folding rate, and net area for solvent accessibility implied the active participation of MDM2 with DHFR. Fascinatingly, conformational transitions from coils to helices and β-sheets after interaction with DHFR affirm the conformational strength and firmer interaction of human MDM2-DHFR. Therefore, this probe instigates near-future clinical research and interactive computational investigations with mutations.

  19. Oncoprotein MDM2 Overexpression is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Distinct Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Entities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Michael Boe; Nielsen, O; Pedersen, Niels Tinggaard

    1999-01-01

    MDM2 is an oncoprotein involved in the regulation of p53. MDM2 exerts its tumorigenic potential through p53-dependent and -independent mechanisms. It is frequently overexpressed in various malignancies. Little is known about the prognostic value of MDM2 expression in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL...... overexpression was present in 42 (22%) of 188 cases. The frequency was highest in aggressive/very aggressive NHL (P lymphomas, MDM2 overexpression was associated with higher-grade disease (P = .008). MDM2 overexpression was not related to a phenotype indicating...... altered p53. In univariate analysis MDM2 overexpression associated with short survival in follicle center lymphomas (P = .0256), extranodal marginal zone lymphomas (P lymphomas (P = .0047). The relation to poor prognosis was maintained in a Cox regression analysis including known...

  20. Design and Testing of Bi-Functional, P-Loop-Targeted MDM2 Inhibitors

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Prives, Carol L; Stockwell, Brent R

    2007-01-01

    Our proposal is to design and evaluate a novel class of bifunctional MDM2 inhibitors, based on the discovery that nucleotides can bind to the P-loop of MDM2 and cause its relocalization to the nucleolus...

  1. Design and Testing of Bi-Functional, P-Loop-Targeted MDM2 Inhibitors

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Prives, Carol L

    2006-01-01

    This proposal is to design and evaluate a novel class of bifunctional MDM2 inhibitors, based on the discovery that nucleotides can bind to the P-loop of MDM2 and cause its relocalization to the nucleolus...

  2. Phosphatidylserine transport by Ups2-Mdm35 in respiration-active mitochondria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyata, Non; Watanabe, Yasunori; Tamura, Yasushi; Endo, Toshiya; Kuge, Osamu

    2016-07-04

    Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is an essential phospholipid for mitochondrial functions and is synthesized mainly by phosphatidylserine (PS) decarboxylase at the mitochondrial inner membrane. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, PS is synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), such that mitochondrial PE synthesis requires PS transport from the ER to the mitochondrial inner membrane. Here, we provide evidence that Ups2-Mdm35, a protein complex localized at the mitochondrial intermembrane space, mediates PS transport for PE synthesis in respiration-active mitochondria. UPS2- and MDM35-null mutations greatly attenuated conversion of PS to PE in yeast cells growing logarithmically under nonfermentable conditions, but not fermentable conditions. A recombinant Ups2-Mdm35 fusion protein exhibited phospholipid-transfer activity between liposomes in vitro. Furthermore, UPS2 expression was elevated under nonfermentable conditions and at the diauxic shift, the metabolic transition from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation. These results demonstrate that Ups2-Mdm35 functions as a PS transfer protein and enhances mitochondrial PE synthesis in response to the cellular metabolic state. © 2016 Miyata et al.

  3. Intraesophageal administratio (JP4-039) and p53/MDM2/MDM4 Inhibitor (BEB55) ameliorates radiation esophagitisn of GS-Nitroxide

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kim, H.; Bernard, M.; Epperly, M.W.; Shen, H.; Dixon, T.M.; Amoscato, A.A.; Doemling, A.S.; Li, S.; Gao, X.; Wipf, P.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose/Objective(s): To evaluate the esophageal radiation dose modification properties of the GS-nitroxide (JP4-039) and the p53/MDM2/MDM4 inhibitor (BEB55). Materials/Methods: Esophagitis is a significant toxicity of radiation therapy of thoracic cancers. We evaluated radiation dose modification

  4. MICOS and phospholipid transfer by Ups2-Mdm35 organize membrane lipid synthesis in mitochondria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aaltonen, Mari J; Friedman, Jonathan R; Osman, Christof; Salin, Bénédicte; di Rago, Jean-Paul; Nunnari, Jodi; Langer, Thomas; Tatsuta, Takashi

    2016-06-06

    Mitochondria exert critical functions in cellular lipid metabolism and promote the synthesis of major constituents of cellular membranes, such as phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine. Here, we demonstrate that the phosphatidylserine decarboxylase Psd1, located in the inner mitochondrial membrane, promotes mitochondrial PE synthesis via two pathways. First, Ups2-Mdm35 complexes (SLMO2-TRIAP1 in humans) serve as phosphatidylserine (PS)-specific lipid transfer proteins in the mitochondrial intermembrane space, allowing formation of PE by Psd1 in the inner membrane. Second, Psd1 decarboxylates PS in the outer membrane in trans, independently of PS transfer by Ups2-Mdm35. This latter pathway requires close apposition between both mitochondrial membranes and the mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system (MICOS). In MICOS-deficient cells, limiting PS transfer by Ups2-Mdm35 and reducing mitochondrial PE accumulation preserves mitochondrial respiration and cristae formation. These results link mitochondrial PE metabolism to MICOS, combining functions in protein and lipid homeostasis to preserve mitochondrial structure and function. © 2016 Aaltonen et al.

  5. MDM2 facilitates adipocyte differentiation through CRTC-mediated activation of STAT3

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hallenborg, P.; Siersbæk, M.; Barrio-Hernandez, I.

    2016-01-01

    on activation of the STAT family of transcription factors. Their activation was required for the cAMP-mediated induction of target genes. Interestingly, rather than influencing all cAMP-stimulated genes, inhibition of the kinases directly responsible for STAT activation, namely JAKs, or ablation of MDM2, each......The ubiquitin ligase MDM2 is best known for balancing the activity of the tumor suppressor p53. We have previously shown that MDM2 is vital for adipocyte conversion through controlling Cebpd expression in a p53-independent manner. Here, we show that the proadipogenic effect of MDM2 relies...... resulted in abolished induction of a subset of cAMP-stimulated genes, with Cebpd being among the most affected. Moreover, STATs were able to interact with the transcriptional cofactors CRTC2 and CRTC3, hitherto only reported to associate with the cAMP-responsive transcription factor CREB. Last...

  6. Rapid detection of SNP (c.309T>G in the MDM2 gene by the Duplex SmartAmp method.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasuaki Enokida

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Genetic polymorphisms in the human MDM2 gene are suggested to be a tumor susceptibility marker and a prognostic factor for cancer. It has been reported that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP c.309T>G in the MDM2 gene attenuates the tumor suppressor activity of p53 and accelerates tumor formation in humans. METHODOLOGY: In this study, to detect the SNP c.309T>G in the MDM2 gene, we have developed a new SNP detection method, named "Duplex SmartAmp," which enabled us to simultaneously detect both 309T and 309G alleles in one tube. To develop this new method, we introduced new primers i.e., nBP and oBPs, as well as two different fluorescent dyes that separately detect those genetic polymorphisms. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: By the Duplex SmartAmp method, the genetic polymorphisms of the MDM2 gene were detected directly from a small amount of genomic DNA or blood samples. We used 96 genomic DNA and 24 blood samples to validate the Duplex SmartAmp by comparison with results of the conventional PCR-RFLP method; consequently, the Duplex SmartAmp results agreed totally with those of the PCR-RFLP method. Thus, the new SNP detection method is considered useful for detecting the SNP c.309T>G in the MDM2 gene so as to judge cancer susceptibility against some cellular stress in the clinical setting, and also to handle a large number of samples and enable rapid clinical diagnosis.

  7. Genetic Polymorphism of MDM2 SNP309 in Patients with Helicobacter Pylori-Associated Gastritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tongtawee, Taweesak; Dechsukhum, Chavaboon; Leeanansaksiri, Wilairat; Kaewpitoon, Soraya; Kaewpitoon, Natthawut; Loyd, Ryan A; Matrakool, Likit; Panpimanmas, Sukij

    2015-01-01

    Helicobacter pylori plays an important role in gastric cancer, which has a relatively low inciduence in Thailand. MDM2 is a major negative regulator of p53, the key tumor suppressor involved in tumorigenesis of the majority of human cancers. Whether its expression might explain the relative lack of gastric cancer in Thailand was assessed here. This single-center study was conducted in the northeast region of Thailand. Gastric mucosa from 100 patients with Helicobacter pylori associated gastritis was analyzed for MDM2 SNP309 using real-time PCR hybridization (light-cycler) probes. In the total 100 Helicobacter pylori associated gastritis cases the incidence of SNP 309 T/T homozygous was 78 % with SNP309 G/T heterozygous found in 19% and SNP309 G/G homozygous in 3%. The result show SNP 309 T/T and SNP 309 G/T to be rather common in the Thai population. Our study indicates that the MDM2 SNP309 G/G homozygous genotype might be a risk factor for gastric cancer in Thailand and the fact that it is infrequent could explain to some extent the low incidence of gastric cancer in the Thai population.

  8. Synergistic targeting of malignant pleural mesothelioma cells by MDM2 inhibitors and TRAIL agonists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urso, Loredana; Biasini, Lorena; Zago, Giulia; Calabrese, Fiorella; Conte, Pier Franco; Ciminale, Vincenzo; Pasello, Giulia

    2017-01-01

    Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) is a chemoresistant tumor characterized by low rate of p53 mutation and upregulation of Murine Double Minute 2 (MDM2), suggesting that it may be effectively targeted using MDM2 inhibitors. In the present study, we investigated the anticancer activity of the MDM2 inhibitors Nutlin 3a (in vitro) and RG7112 (in vivo), as single agents or in combination with rhTRAIL. In vitro studies were performed using MPM cell lines derived from epithelioid (ZL55, M14K), biphasic (MSTO211H) and sarcomatoid (ZL34) MPMs. In vivo studies were conducted on a sarcomatoid MPM mouse model. In all the cell lines tested (with the exception of ZL55, which carries a biallelic loss-of-function mutation of p53), Nutlin 3a enhanced p21, MDM2 and DR5 expression, and decreased survivin expression. These changes were associated to cell cycle arrest but not to a significant induction of apoptosis. A synergistic pro-apoptotic effect was obtained through the association of rhTRAIL in all the cell lines harboring functional p53. This synergistic interaction of MDM2 inhibitor and TRAIL agonist was confirmed using a mouse preclinical model. Our results suggest that the combined targeting of MDM2 and TRAIL might provide a novel therapeutic option for treatment of MPM patients, particularly in the case of sarcomatoid MPM with MDM2 overexpression and functional inactivation of wild-type p53. PMID:28562336

  9. The carboxy terminus of p53 mimics the polylysine effect of protein kinase CK2-catalyzed MDM2 phosphorylation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Guerra, B; Götz, C; Wagner, P

    1997-01-01

    The oncogene product MDM2 can be phosphorylated by protein kinase CK2 in vitro 0.5-1 mol of phosphate were incorporated per mol MDM2 protein. The catalytic subunit of protein kinase CK2 (alpha-subunit) catalyzed the incorporation of twice as much phosphate into the MDM2 protein as it was obtained...

  10. Expression of p53, MDM2 in a mice hydradecarcinoma model induced by γ-ray irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Yuecheng; Cai Jianming; Han Ling; Gao Fu; Sun Ding; Dong Zhitao; Zhe Wanli

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the role of the p53, MDM2 in carcinogenesis of mice hydradecarcinoma induced by γ-rays. Methods: A radiation-induced mice hydradecarcinoma model was established by γ-ray irradiation. Expression of MDM2 protein in hydradecarcinoma tissue, paracancerous tissue and normal control tissue was detected with Western blot. Immunoprecipitation (IP) was conducted to examine the phosphorylation level of MDM2 protein. PCR-SSCP was performed to detect p53 gene mutation. Results: Compared with the normal control tissue, the MDM2 protein expression and its phosphorylation level were significantly higher in hydradecarcinoma tissue. SSCP showed there were p53 gene mutations in hydradecarcinoma samples. Conclusion: p53/MDM2 pathway may be involved in the development and progression of hydradecarcinoma induced by γ-ray irradiation. The over-expression of MDM2 and hyperphosphorylation may be responsible for malignant transformation induced by irradiation by a possible mechanism of p53 inactivation. The gene mutation of p53 further supported the hypothesis that p53/MDM2 pathway played a central role in carcinogenesis of γray induced hydradecarcinoma. (authors)

  11. MicroRNA-410 suppresses migration and invasion by targeting MDM2 in gastric cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianjun Shen

    Full Text Available Gastric cancer is one of the most frequent malignancies in tumors in the East Asian countries. Identifying precise prognostic markers and effective therapeutic targets is important in the treatment of gastric cancer. microRNAs (miRNAs play important roles in tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms by which miRNAs regulate gastric cancer metastasis remain poorly understood. In this study, we found that the levels of miR-410 in gastric cancer and cell lines were much lower than that in the normal control, respectively, and the lower level of miR-410 was significantly associated with lymph-node metastasis. Transfection of miR-410 mimics could significantly inhibit the cell proliferation, migration and invasion in the HGC-27 gastric cancer cell lines. In contrast, knockdown of miR-410 had the opposite effect on the cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, we also found that MDM2 was negatively regulated by miR-410 at the post-transcriptional level, via a specific target site with the 3'UTR by luciferase reporter assay. The expression of MDM2 was inversely correlated with miR-410 expression in gastric cancer tissues, and overexpression of MDM2 in miR-410-transfected gastric cancer cells effectively rescued the inhibition of cell proliferation and invasion caused by miR-410. Thus, our findings suggested that miR-410 acted as a new tumor suppressor by targeting the MDM2 gene and inhibiting gastric cancer cells proliferation, migration and invasion. The findings of this study contributed to the current understanding of these functions of miR-410 in gastric cancer.

  12. Polymorphism of MDM2 promoter 309 (rs 2279744) and the risk of PCOS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Ying; Jiang, Hongguo; Yang, Xiaoling; Li, Dongya; Ma, Lan; Luo, Ying; Tang, Wenru

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed at evaluating possible association between MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism (rs 2279744) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). One hundred and twenty-five women with PCOS and two hundred and fifty women without PCOS were collected from the department of reproductive medicine of college hospital in this case-control study. Peripheral blood samples were collected from all participants and DNA was extracted, MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism (rs 2279744) was determined from the 125 cases and 250 controls. Women were grouped into PCOS (n = 125) group and control group (n = 250). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to evaluate the association between MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism (rs 2279744) and PCOS. The distribution of T allele was significant higher in PCOS cases than controls. MDM2 SNP 309 T allele is associated with PCOS.

  13. A dynamic P53-MDM2 model with time delay

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mihalas, Gh.I. [Department of Biophysics and Medical Informatics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Piata Eftimie Murgu, nr. 3, 300041 Timisoara (Romania)]. E-mail: mihalas@medinfo.umft.ro; Neamtu, M. [Department of Forecasting, Economic Analysis, Mathematics and Statistics, West University of Timisoara, Str. Pestalozzi, nr. 14A, 300115 Timisoara (Romania)]. E-mail: mihaela.neamtu@fse.uvt.ro; Opris, D. [Department of Applied Mathematics, West University of Timisoara, Bd. V. Parvan, nr. 4, 300223 Timisoara (Romania)]. E-mail: opris@math.uvt.ro; Horhat, R.F. [Department of Biophysics and Medical Informatics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Piata Eftimie Murgu, nr. 3, 300041 Timisoara (Romania)]. E-mail: rhorhat@yahoo.com

    2006-11-15

    Specific activator and repressor transcription factors which bind to specific regulator DNA sequences, play an important role in gene activity control. Interactions between genes coding such transcription factors should explain the different stable or sometimes oscillatory gene activities characteristic for different tissues. Starting with the model P53-MDM2 described into [Mihalas GI, Simon Z, Balea G, Popa E. Possible oscillatory behaviour in P53-MDM2 interaction computer simulation. J Biol Syst 2000;8(1):21-9] and the process described into [Kohn KW, Pommier Y. Molecular interaction map of P53 and MDM2 logic elements, which control the off-on switch of P53 in response to DNA damage. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2005;331:816-27] we enveloped a new model of this interaction. Choosing the delay as a bifurcation parameter we study the direction and stability of the bifurcating periodic solutions. Some numerical examples are finally given for justifying the theoretical results.

  14. A dynamic P53-MDM2 model with time delay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mihalas, Gh.I.; Neamtu, M.; Opris, D.; Horhat, R.F.

    2006-01-01

    Specific activator and repressor transcription factors which bind to specific regulator DNA sequences, play an important role in gene activity control. Interactions between genes coding such transcription factors should explain the different stable or sometimes oscillatory gene activities characteristic for different tissues. Starting with the model P53-MDM2 described into [Mihalas GI, Simon Z, Balea G, Popa E. Possible oscillatory behaviour in P53-MDM2 interaction computer simulation. J Biol Syst 2000;8(1):21-9] and the process described into [Kohn KW, Pommier Y. Molecular interaction map of P53 and MDM2 logic elements, which control the off-on switch of P53 in response to DNA damage. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2005;331:816-27] we enveloped a new model of this interaction. Choosing the delay as a bifurcation parameter we study the direction and stability of the bifurcating periodic solutions. Some numerical examples are finally given for justifying the theoretical results

  15. Hypermethylation of the 5′ CpG island of the p14ARF flanking exon 1β in human colorectal cancer displaying a restricted pattern of p53 overexpression concomitant with increased MDM2 expression

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    Nyiraneza Christine

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background It has been suggested that inactivation of p14ARF, a tumor suppressor central to regulating p53 protein stability through interaction with the MDM2 oncoprotein, abrogates p53 activity in human tumors retaining the wild-type TP53 gene. Differences in expression of tumor suppressor genes are frequently associated with cancer. We previously reported on a pattern of restricted p53 immunohistochemical overexpression significantly associated with microsatellite instability (MSI, low TP53 mutation frequency, and MDM2 overexpression in colorectal cancers (CRCs. In this study, we investigated whether p14ARF alterations could be a mechanism for disabling the p53 pathway in this subgroup of CRCs. Results Detailed maps of the alterations in the p14ARF gene were determined in a cohort of 98 CRCs to detect both nucleotide and copy-number changes. Methylation-specific PCR combined with bisulfite sequencing was used to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of p14ARF methylation. p14ARF alterations were then correlated with MSI status, TP53 mutations, and immunohistochemical expression of p53 and MDM2. The frequency of p14ARF mutations was extremely low (1/98; 1%, whereas coexistence of methylated and unmethylated alleles in both tumors and normal colon mucosa was common (91/98; 93%. Only seven of ninety-eight tumors (7% had a distinct pattern of methylation compared with normal colon mucosa. Evaluation of the prevalence and distribution of p14ARF promoter methylation in a region containing 27 CpG sites in 35 patients showed a range of methylated CpG sites in tumors (0 to 25 (95% CI 1 to 13 versus 0 to 17 (95% CI 0 to 2 in adjacent colon mucosa (P = 0.004. Hypermethylation of the p14ARF promoter was significantly correlated with the restricted p53 overexpression pattern (P = 0.03, and MDM2 overexpression (P = 0.02, independently of MSI phenotype. Although no significant correlation between p14ARF methylation and TP53 mutational

  16. Reactivating TP53 signaling by the novel MDM2 inhibitor DS-3032b as a therapeutic option for high-risk neuroblastoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnhold, Viktor; Schmelz, Karin; Proba, Jutta; Winkler, Annika; Wünschel, Jasmin; Toedling, Joern; Deubzer, Hedwig E.; Künkele, Annette; Eggert, Angelika; Schulte, Johannes H.; Hundsdoerfer, Patrick

    2018-01-01

    Fewer than 50% of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma survive five years after diagnosis with current treatment protocols. Molecular targeted therapies are expected to improve survival. Although MDM2 has been validated as a promising target in preclinical models, no MDM2 inhibitors have yet entered clinical trials for neuroblastoma patients. Toxic side effects, poor bioavailability and low efficacy of the available MDM2 inhibitors that have entered phase I/II trials drive the development of novel MDM2 inhibitors with an improved risk-benefit profile. We investigated the effect of the novel MDM2 small molecular inhibitor, DS-3032b, on viability, proliferation, senescence, migration, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in a panel of six neuroblastoma cell lines with different TP53 and MYCN genetic backgrounds, and assessed efficacy in a murine subcutaneous model for high-risk neuroblastoma. Re-analysis of existing expression data from 476 primary neuroblastomas showed that high-level MDM2 expression correlated with poor patient survival. DS-3032b treatment enhanced TP53 target gene expression and induced G1 cell cycle arrest, senescence and apoptosis. CRISPR-mediated MDM2 knockout in neuroblastoma cells mimicked DS-3032b treatment. TP53 signaling was selectively activated by DS-3032b in neuroblastoma cells with wildtype TP53, regardless of the presence of MYCN amplification, but was significantly reduced by TP53 mutations or expression of a dominant-negative TP53 mutant. Oral DS-3032b administration inhibited xenograft tumor growth and prolonged mouse survival. Our in vitro and in vivo data demonstrate that DS-3032b reactivates TP53 signaling even in the presence of MYCN amplification in neuroblastoma cells, to reduce proliferative capacity and cause cytotoxicity. PMID:29416773

  17. Mdm2 is a novel activator of ApoCIII promoter which is antagonized by p53 and SHP inhibition

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    Yang, Zhihong; Zhang, Yuxia [Departments of Medicine and Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132 (United States); Wang, Li, E-mail: l.wang@hsc.utah.edu [Departments of Medicine and Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132 (United States)

    2012-01-13

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mdm2 enhances HNF4{alpha} activation of the ApoCIII promoter via interaction with HNF4{alpha}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer p53 antagonizes the effect of Mdm2 activation of the ApoCIII promoter. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SHP strengthens p53 inhibition but abolishes Mdm2 activation of the ApoCIII promoter. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mdm2 alters the enrichment of HNF4{alpha}, p53 and SHP to the ApoCIII promoter. -- Abstract: We examined the effect of Mdm2 on regulation of the ApoCIII promoter and its cross-talk with p53 and nuclear receptor SHP. Overexpression of Mdm2 markedly enhanced ApoCIII promoter activity by HNF4{alpha}. A direct association of Mdm2 protein with the HNF4{alpha} protein was observed by co-immunoprecipitation. Ectopic expression of p53 decreased HNF4{alpha} activation of the ApoCIII promoter and antagonized the effect of Mdm2. Co-expression of SHP further strengthened p53 inhibition and abolished Mdm2 activation of the ApoCIII promoter. Mdm2 inhibited p53-mediated enrichment of HNF4{alpha} to the ApoCIII promoter while simultaneously reducing p53 binding and increasing recruitment of SHP to the ApoCIII promoter. The results from this study implicate a potentially important function of Mdm2 in regulation of lipoprotein metabolism.

  18. Mdm2 is a novel activator of ApoCIII promoter which is antagonized by p53 and SHP inhibition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Zhihong; Zhang, Yuxia; Wang, Li

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Mdm2 enhances HNF4α activation of the ApoCIII promoter via interaction with HNF4α. ► p53 antagonizes the effect of Mdm2 activation of the ApoCIII promoter. ► SHP strengthens p53 inhibition but abolishes Mdm2 activation of the ApoCIII promoter. ► Mdm2 alters the enrichment of HNF4α, p53 and SHP to the ApoCIII promoter. -- Abstract: We examined the effect of Mdm2 on regulation of the ApoCIII promoter and its cross-talk with p53 and nuclear receptor SHP. Overexpression of Mdm2 markedly enhanced ApoCIII promoter activity by HNF4α. A direct association of Mdm2 protein with the HNF4α protein was observed by co-immunoprecipitation. Ectopic expression of p53 decreased HNF4α activation of the ApoCIII promoter and antagonized the effect of Mdm2. Co-expression of SHP further strengthened p53 inhibition and abolished Mdm2 activation of the ApoCIII promoter. Mdm2 inhibited p53-mediated enrichment of HNF4α to the ApoCIII promoter while simultaneously reducing p53 binding and increasing recruitment of SHP to the ApoCIII promoter. The results from this study implicate a potentially important function of Mdm2 in regulation of lipoprotein metabolism.

  19. Screening of medicinal plant phytochemicals as natural antagonists of p53-MDM2 interaction to reactivate p53 functioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riaz, Muhammad; Ashfaq, Usman A; Qasim, Muhammad; Yasmeen, Erum; Ul Qamar, Muhammad T; Anwar, Farooq

    2017-10-01

    In most types of cancer, overexpression of murine double minute 2 (MDM2) often leads to inactivation of p53. The crystal structure of MDM2, with a 109-residue amino-terminal domain, reveals that MDM2 has a core hydrophobic region to which p53 binds as an amphipathic α helix. The interface depends on the steric complementarity between MDM2 and the hydrophobic region of p53. Especially, on p53's triad, amino acids Phe19, Trp23 and Leu26 bind to the MDM2 core. Results from studies suggest that the structural motif of both p53 and MDM2 can be attributed to similarities in the amphipathic α helix. Thus, in the current investigation it is hypothesized that the similarity in the structural motif might be the cause of p53 inactivation by MDM2. Hence, molecular docking and phytochemical screening approaches are appraised to inhibit the hydrophobic cleft of MDM2 and to stop p53-MDM2 interaction, resulting in reactivation of p53 activity. For this purpose, a library of 2295 phytochemicals were screened against p53-MDM2 to find potential candidates. Of these, four phytochemicals including epigallocatechin gallate, alvaradoin M, alvaradoin E and nordihydroguaiaretic acid were found to be potential inhibitors of p53-MDM2 interaction. The screened phytochemicals, derived from natural extracts, may have negligible side effects and can be explored as potent antagonists of p53-MDM2 interactions, resulting in reactivation of the normal transcription of p53.

  20. Modulation of mdm2 pre-mRNA splicing by 9-aminoacridine-PNA (peptide nucleic acid conjugates targeting intron-exon junctions

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    Nielsen Peter E

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Modulation of pre-mRNA splicing by antisense molecules is a promising mechanism of action for gene therapeutic drugs. In this study, we have examined the potential of peptide nucleic acid (PNA 9-aminoacridine conjugates to modulate the pre-mRNA splicing of the mdm2 human cancer gene in JAR cells. Methods We screened 10 different 15 mer PNAs targeting intron2 at both the 5' - and the 3'-splice site for their effects on the splicing of mdm2 using RT-PCR analysis. We also tested a PNA (2512 targeting the 3'-splice site of intron3 with a complementarity of 4 bases to intron3 and 11 bases to exon4 for its splicing modulation effect. This PNA2512 was further tested for the effects on the mdm2 protein level as well as for inhibition of cell growth in combination with the DNA damaging agent camptothecin (CPT. Results We show that several of these PNAs effectively inhibit the splicing thereby producing a larger mRNA still containing intron2, while skipping of exon3 was not observed by any of these PNAs. The most effective PNA (PNA2406 targeting the 3'-splice site of intron2 had a complementarity of 4 bases to intron2 and 11 bases to exon3. PNA (2512 targeting the 3'-splice site of intron3 induced both splicing inhibition (intron3 skipping and skipping of exon4. Furthermore, treatment of JAR cells with this PNA resulted in a reduction in the level of MDM2 protein and a concomitant increase in the level of tumor suppressor p53. In addition, a combination of this PNA with CPT inhibited cell growth more than CPT alone. Conclusion We have identified several PNAs targeting the 5'- or 3'-splice sites in intron2 or the 3'-splice site of intron3 of mdm2 pre-mRNA which can inhibit splicing. Antisense targeting of splice junctions of mdm2 pre-mRNA may be a powerful method to evaluate the cellular function of MDM2 splice variants as well as a promising approach for discovery of mdm2 targeted anticancer drugs.

  1. Novel targeted therapeutics: inhibitors of MDM2, ALK and PARP

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    Hsueh Chung-Tsen

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We reviewed preclinical data and clinical development of MDM2 (murine double minute 2, ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase and PARP (poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase inhibitors. MDM2 binds to p53, and promotes degradation of p53 through ubiquitin-proteasome degradation. JNJ-26854165 and RO5045337 are 2 small-molecule inhibitors of MDM2 in clinical development. ALK is a transmembrane protein and a member of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinases. EML4-ALK fusion gene is identified in approximately 3-13% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC. Early-phase clinical studies with Crizotinib, an ALK inhibitor, in NSCLC harboring EML4-ALK have demonstrated promising activity with high response rate and prolonged progression-free survival. PARPs are a family of nuclear enzymes that regulates the repair of DNA single-strand breaks through the base excision repair pathway. Randomized phase II study has shown adding PARP-1 inhibitor BSI-201 to cytotoxic chemotherapy improves clinical outcome in patients with triple-negative breast cancer. Olaparib, another oral small-molecule PARP inhibitor, demonstrated encouraging single-agent activity in patients with advanced breast or ovarian cancer. There are 5 other PARP inhibitors currently under active clinical investigation.

  2. Flavonoids and Tannins from Smilax china L. Rhizome Induce Apoptosis Via Mitochondrial Pathway and MDM2-p53 Signaling in Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, San; Yang, Yanfang; Liu, Dan; Luo, Yan; Ye, Xiaochuan; Liu, Yanwen; Chen, Xin; Wang, Song; Wu, Hezhen; Wang, Yuhang; Hu, Qiwei; You, Pengtao

    2017-01-01

    In vitro evidence indicates that Smilax china L. rhizome (SCR) can inhibit cell proliferation. Therefore, in the present study, we analyzed the effects in vitro of SCR extracts on human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. Our results showed that A549 cell growth was inhibited in a dose- and time-dependent manner after treatment with SCR extracts. Total flavonoids and total tannins from SCR induced A549 apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, as shown by our flow cytometry analysis, which was consistent with the alterations in nuclear morphology we observed. In addition, the total apoptotic rate induced by total tannins was higher than the rate induced by total flavonoids at the same dose. Cleaved-caspase-3 protein levels in A549 cells after treatment with total flavonoids or total tannins were increased in a dose-dependent manner, followed by the activation of caspase-8 and caspase-9, finally triggering to PARP cleavage. Furthermore, total flavonoids and total tannins increased the expression of Bax, decreased the expression of Bcl-2, and promoted cytochrome [Formula: see text] release. Moreover, MDM2 and p-MDM2 proteins were decreased, while p53 and p-p53 proteins were increased, both in a dose-dependent manner, after A549 treatment with total flavonoids and total tannins. Finally, cleaved-caspase-3 protein levels in the total flavonoids or total tannins-treated H1299 (p53 null) and p53-knockdown A549 cells were increased. Our results indicated that total flavonoids and total tannins from SCR exerted a remarkable effect in reducing A549 growth through their action on mitochondrial pathway and disruption of MDM2-p53 balance. Hence, our findings demonstrated a potential application of total flavonoids and total tannins from SCR in the treatment of human lung adenocarcinoma.

  3. Rare MDM4 gene amplification in colorectal cancer: The principle of a mutually exclusive relationship between MDM alteration and TP53 inactivation is not applicable.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suda, Tetsuji; Yoshihara, Mitsuyo; Nakamura, Yoshiyasu; Sekiguchi, Hironobu; Godai, Ten-I; Sugano, Nobuhiro; Tsuchida, Kazuhito; Shiozawa, Manabu; Sakuma, Yuji; Tsuchiya, Eiju; Kameda, Yoichi; Akaike, Makoto; Matsukuma, Shoichi; Miyagi, Yohei

    2011-07-01

    MDM4, a homolog of MDM2, is considered a key negative regulator of p53. Gene amplification of MDM4 has been identified in a variety of tumors. MDM2 or MDM4 gene amplification is only associated with the wild-type TP53 gene in retinoblastomas, thus the amplification of the two genes is mutually exclusive. Previously, we demonstrated that MDM2 amplification and TP53 alteration were not mutually exclusive in colorectal cancer, and we identified a subset of colorectal cancer patients without alterations in either the TP53 or the MDM2 gene. In this study, we investigated the gene amplification status of MDM4 in the same set of colorectal cancer cases. Unexpectedly, MDM4 amplification was rare, detected in only 1.4% (3 out of 211) of colorectal cancer cases. All the three gene-amplified tumors also harbored TP53-inactivating mutations. This contradicts the simple mutually exclusive relationship observed in retinoblastomas. Surprisingly, two of the three MDM4-amplified tumors also demonstrated MDM2 amplification. Paradoxically, the MDM4 protein levels were decreased in the tumor tissue of the gene-amplified cases compared with levels in the matched normal mucosa. We speculate that MDM4 might play a role in colorectal carcinogenesis that is not limited to negative regulation of p53 in combination with MDM2. The functional significance of MDM4 is still unclear and further studies are needed.

  4. Genetic association between polymorphism of mdm2 gene and symptoms and pathological types of NSCLC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Xiaolan; Wang Weili; Zhang Xueying; Hao Ming; Liu Linlin; Wu Zhenfeng; Jiang Hongwei

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the genetic association between polymorphism of mdm2 gene and symptoms and pathological types of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was used to identify mdm2 genotypes. The Pearson Chi square test and Woolf statistic method were used to analyze the relative risk and 95% confidence interval (CI) in order to find the genetic association between polymorphism of mdm2 gene and symptoms and pathological types of NSCLC. Results: In the SNP rs1196337 (a G to A base change) AA genotype showed association with cough of NSCLC (P<0.05). Conclusion: The polymorphism of mdm2 gene may be associated with symptom as cough of NSCLC. (authors)

  5. Overexpression of p53, MDM2 proteins in some atr radiation-induced skin ulcers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu Qingyang; Gao Yabing; Wang Dewen; Cui Yufang; Zhao Po; Yang Zhixiang; Zhou Jie

    2000-01-01

    An animal model of radiation-induced skin ulcer was set up with 140 rats, which were locally irradiated with 35-55 Gy γ-rays. The pathological changes were observed for 1 year. Immunohistochemical studies were performed in 72 rat radiation skin ulcer specimens using anti-p53 and anti-MDM2 proteins polyclonal antibodies. The results showed that the positive rate for overexpression of p53 protein was 9.7%, and for that of MDM2 was 19.4%. The overexpression of p53 was mainly seen in the nuclei of activated squamous epithelial cells, and in fibroblasts, endotheliocytes in deeper part of the skin ulcers. The overexpression of MDM2 had the same localizations. It is suggested that the changes of p53 and MDM2, genes and proteins, may be related to the cancer transformation and poor healing of radiation-induced skin ulcers

  6. The nucleolar SUMO-specific protease SMT3IP1/SENP3 attenuates Mdm2-mediated p53 ubiquitination and degradation

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    Nishida, Tamotsu, E-mail: nishida@gene.mie-u.ac.jp [Department of Human Functional Genomics, Life Science Research Center, Mie University, 1577 Kurima-machiya, Tsu 514-8507 (Japan); Yamada, Yoshiji [Department of Human Functional Genomics, Life Science Research Center, Mie University, 1577 Kurima-machiya, Tsu 514-8507 (Japan)

    2011-03-11

    Research highlights: {yields} SMT3IP1 interacts with p53 and Mdm2, and desumoylates both proteins. {yields} SMT3IP1 competes with p53 for binding to the central acidic domain of Mdm2. {yields} SMT3IP1 binding to Mdm2 inhibits Mdm2-mediated p53 ubiquitination and degradation. {yields} We postulate that SMT3IP1 acts as a new regulator of the p53-Mdm2 pathway. -- Abstract: SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) modification plays multiple roles in several cellular processes. Sumoylation is reversibly regulated by SUMO-specific proteases. SUMO-specific proteases have recently been implicated in cell proliferation and early embryogenesis, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we show that a nucleolar SUMO-specific protease, SMT3IP1/SENP3, controls the p53-Mdm2 pathway. We found that SMT3IP1 interacts with p53 and Mdm2, and desumoylates both proteins. Overexpression of SMT3IP1 in cells resulted in the accumulation of Mdm2 in the nucleolus and increased stability of the p53 protein. In addition, SMT3IP1 bound to the acidic domain of Mdm2, which also mediates the p53 interaction, and competed with p53 for binding. Increasing expression of SMT3IP1 suppressed Mdm2-mediated p53 ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation. Interestingly, the desumoylation activity of SMT3IP1 was not necessary for p53 stabilization. These results suggest that SMT3IP1 is a new regulator of the p53-Mdm2 pathway.

  7. The nucleolar SUMO-specific protease SMT3IP1/SENP3 attenuates Mdm2-mediated p53 ubiquitination and degradation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishida, Tamotsu; Yamada, Yoshiji

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → SMT3IP1 interacts with p53 and Mdm2, and desumoylates both proteins. → SMT3IP1 competes with p53 for binding to the central acidic domain of Mdm2. → SMT3IP1 binding to Mdm2 inhibits Mdm2-mediated p53 ubiquitination and degradation. → We postulate that SMT3IP1 acts as a new regulator of the p53-Mdm2 pathway. -- Abstract: SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) modification plays multiple roles in several cellular processes. Sumoylation is reversibly regulated by SUMO-specific proteases. SUMO-specific proteases have recently been implicated in cell proliferation and early embryogenesis, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we show that a nucleolar SUMO-specific protease, SMT3IP1/SENP3, controls the p53-Mdm2 pathway. We found that SMT3IP1 interacts with p53 and Mdm2, and desumoylates both proteins. Overexpression of SMT3IP1 in cells resulted in the accumulation of Mdm2 in the nucleolus and increased stability of the p53 protein. In addition, SMT3IP1 bound to the acidic domain of Mdm2, which also mediates the p53 interaction, and competed with p53 for binding. Increasing expression of SMT3IP1 suppressed Mdm2-mediated p53 ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation. Interestingly, the desumoylation activity of SMT3IP1 was not necessary for p53 stabilization. These results suggest that SMT3IP1 is a new regulator of the p53-Mdm2 pathway.

  8. Overexpression of MDM2 protein in ameloblastomas as compared to adenomatoid odontogenic tumor

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    A Krishna

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Recent studies on odontogenic tumors have identified various molecular alterations responsible for their development, and determination of epithelial proliferation is a useful means of investigating the differences in biologic behavior of these tumors. One such specific marker to identify proliferative activity and tumor aggressiveness by immunohistochemistry (IHC is MDM2, 90-95kDa protein. Objective: This immunohistochemical study using MDM2 expression was undertaken to understand better the diverse biological activity of two groups of odontogenic tumors namely ameloblastoma and adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT based on their cell proliferation activity. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 cases, comprising of 36 ameloblastoma samples and 14 AOT samples, were subjected to heat-induced antigen retrieval method using citrate buffer in a pressure cooker. Consequently, the sections were stained with MDM2 monoclonal antibody and visualized using an LSAB+ kit. Results: In ameloblastomas, statistically significant association was seen between plexiform ameloblastomas, follicular ameloblastomas with granular cell changes, desmoplastic and unicystic variants. The predominant nuclear staining by MDM2 revealed overexpression in ameloblastomas as compared to AOT. Conclusion: The MDM2 overexpression noticed in plexiform ameloblastoma, follicular ameloblastoma with granular cell changes and acanthomatous ameloblastoma when compared to simple unicystic and desmoplastic ameloblastoma suggest a relatively enhanced proliferative phenotype of these solid multicystic variants of ameloblastomas. On overall comparison, higher expression was noted in ameloblastomas when compared to AOT. This indicates differences in the aggressive nature between these two groups of odontogenic tumors favoring the perception of a greater aggressive nature of ameloblastomas.

  9. Antisense-MDM2 Sensitizes LNCaP Prostate Cancer Cells to Androgen Deprivation, Radiation, and the Combination In Vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stoyanova, Radka; Hachem, Paul; Hensley, Harvey; Khor, L.-Y.; Mu Zhaomei; Hammond, M. Elizabeth H.; Agrawal, Sudhir; Pollack, Alan

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To test the effects of antisense (AS)-MDM2 alone and with androgen deprivation (AD), radiotherapy (RT), and AD + RT on wild-type LNCaP cells in an orthotopic in vivo model. Methods: Androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells were grown in the prostates of nude mice. Magnetic resonance imaging-based tumor volume and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measurements were used to assess effects on tumor response. Tumor response was measured by biochemical and tumor volume failure definitions and doubling time estimates from fitted PSA and tumor volume growth curves. Expression of MDM2, p53, p21, and Ki-67 was quantified using immunohistochemical staining and image analysis of formalin-fixed tissue, analogous to methods used clinically. Results: Antisense-MDM2 significantly inhibited the growth of LNCaP tumors over the mismatch controls. The most significant increase in tumor growth delay and tumor doubling time was from AS-MDM2 + AD + RT, although the effect of AS-MDM2 + AD was substantial. Expression of MDM2 was significantly reduced by AS-MDM2 in the setting of RT. Conclusions: This is the first in vivo investigation of the effects of AS-MDM2 in an orthotopic model and the first to demonstrate incremental sensitization when added to AD and AD + RT. The results with AD underscore the potential to affect micrometastatic disease, which is probably responsible for treatment failure in 30-40% of men with high-risk disease

  10. MDM2 promoter SNP344T>A (rs1196333 status does not affect cancer risk.

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    Stian Knappskog

    Full Text Available The MDM2 proto-oncogene plays a key role in central cellular processes like growth control and apoptosis, and the gene locus is frequently amplified in sarcomas. Two polymorphisms located in the MDM2 promoter P2 have been shown to affect cancer risk. One of these polymorphisms (SNP309T>G; rs2279744 facilitates Sp1 transcription factor binding to the promoter and is associated with increased cancer risk. In contrast, SNP285G>C (rs117039649, located 24 bp upstream of rs2279744, and in complete linkage disequilibrium with the SNP309G allele, reduces Sp1 recruitment and lowers cancer risk. Thus, fine tuning of MDM2 expression has proven to be of significant importance with respect to tumorigenesis. We assessed the potential functional effects of a third MDM2 promoter P2 polymorphism (SNP344T>A; rs1196333 located on the SNP309T allele. While in silico analyses indicated SNP344A to modulate TFAP2A, SPIB and AP1 transcription factor binding, we found no effect of SNP344 status on MDM2 expression levels. Assessing the frequency of SNP344A in healthy Caucasians (n = 2,954 and patients suffering from ovarian (n = 1,927, breast (n = 1,271, endometrial (n = 895 or prostatic cancer (n = 641, we detected no significant difference in the distribution of this polymorphism between any of these cancer forms and healthy controls (6.1% in healthy controls, and 4.9%, 5.0%, 5.4% and 7.2% in the cancer groups, respectively. In conclusion, our findings provide no evidence indicating that SNP344A may affect MDM2 transcription or cancer risk.

  11. An updated meta-analysis on the association of MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism with colorectal cancer risk.

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    Xue Qin

    Full Text Available The mouse double minute 2 (MDM2 gene encodes a phosphoprotein that interacts with P53 and negatively regulates its activity. The SNP309 polymorphism (T-G in the promoter of MDM2 gene has been reported to be associated with enhanced MDM2 expression and tumor development. Studies investigating the association between MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism and colorectal cancer (CRC risk reported conflicting results. We performed a meta-analysis of all available studies to explore the association of this polymorphism with CRC risk.All studies published up to July 2013 on the association between MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism and CRC risk were identified by searching electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, and Chinese Biomedical Literature database (CBM databases. The association between the MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism and CRC risk was assessed by odds ratios (ORs together with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs.A total of 14 case-control studies including 4460 CRC cases and 4828 controls were identified. We did not find a significant association between the MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism and CRC risk in all genetic models in overall population. However, in subgroup analysis by ethnicity, significant associations were found in Asians (TG vs. TT: OR = 1.197, 95% CI = 1.055-1.358, P=0.005; GG+TG vs. TT: OR = 1.246, 95% CI = 1.106-1.404, P=0.000 and Africans. When stratified by HWE in controls, significantly increased risk was also found among the studies consistent with HWE (TG vs. TT: OR = 1.166, 95% CI = 1.037-1.311, P= 0.010. In subgroup analysis according to p53 mutation status, and gender, no any significant association was detected.The present meta-analysis suggests that the MDM2 is a candidate gene for CRC susceptibility. The MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism may be a risk factor for CRC in Asians.

  12. Dual targeting of MDM2 and BCL2 as a therapeutic strategy in neuroblastoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Goethem, Alan; Yigit, Nurten; Moreno-Smith, Myrthala; Vasudevan, Sanjeev A; Barbieri, Eveline; Speleman, Frank; Shohet, Jason; Vandesompele, Jo; Van Maerken, Tom

    2017-08-22

    Wild-type p53 tumor suppressor activity in neuroblastoma tumors is hampered by increased MDM2 activity, making selective MDM2 antagonists an attractive therapeutic strategy for this childhood malignancy. Since monotherapy in cancer is generally not providing long-lasting clinical responses, we here aimed to identify small molecule drugs that synergize with idasanutlin (RG7388). To this purpose we evaluated 15 targeted drugs in combination with idasanutlin in three p53 wild type neuroblastoma cell lines and identified the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax (ABT-199) as a promising interaction partner. The venetoclax/idasanutlin combination was consistently found to be highly synergistic in a diverse panel of neuroblastoma cell lines, including cells with high MCL1 expression levels. A more pronounced induction of apoptosis was found to underlie the synergistic interaction, as evidenced by caspase-3/7 and cleaved PARP measurements. Mice carrying orthotopic xenografts of neuroblastoma cells treated with both idasanutlin and venetoclax had drastically lower tumor weights than mice treated with either treatment alone. In conclusion, these data strongly support the further evaluation of dual BCL2/MDM2 targeting as a therapeutic strategy in neuroblastoma.

  13. A systems wide mass spectrometric based linear motif screen to identify dominant in-vivo interacting proteins for the ubiquitin ligase MDM2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicholson, Judith; Scherl, Alex; Way, Luke; Blackburn, Elizabeth A; Walkinshaw, Malcolm D; Ball, Kathryn L; Hupp, Ted R

    2014-06-01

    Linear motifs mediate protein-protein interactions (PPI) that allow expansion of a target protein interactome at a systems level. This study uses a proteomics approach and linear motif sub-stratifications to expand on PPIs of MDM2. MDM2 is a multi-functional protein with over one hundred known binding partners not stratified by hierarchy or function. A new linear motif based on a MDM2 interaction consensus is used to select novel MDM2 interactors based on Nutlin-3 responsiveness in a cell-based proteomics screen. MDM2 binds a subset of peptide motifs corresponding to real proteins with a range of allosteric responses to MDM2 ligands. We validate cyclophilin B as a novel protein with a consensus MDM2 binding motif that is stabilised by Nutlin-3 in vivo, thus identifying one of the few known interactors of MDM2 that is stabilised by Nutlin-3. These data invoke two modes of peptide binding at the MDM2 N-terminus that rely on a consensus core motif to control the equilibrium between MDM2 binding proteins. This approach stratifies MDM2 interacting proteins based on the linear motif feature and provides a new biomarker assay to define clinically relevant Nutlin-3 responsive MDM2 interactors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Expression of MDM2 in an acute lymphocytic leukemia mice model induced by γ-radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Yuecheng; Cai Jianming; Han Ling; Gao Fu; Cui Jianguo; Gao Jianguo

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the role of the MDM 2 in the process of carcinogenesis induced by γ-rays and its molecular mechanisms. Methods: Animal model of radiation-induced leukemia was established by γ-irradiation. According to the histological and morphological results, mice tissues were divided into three groups: cancerization group, incancerization group and control group. Expression of MDM 2 protein and mRNA in thymus/bone marrow was detected with Western blot and in situ hybridization (ISH), respectively. The authors also examined the protein phosphorylation level of MDM 2 protein by immunoprecipitation (IP). PCR-SSCP was performed to detect gene mutation. Results: A mice leukemia model was successfully established as verified by pathological findings and confirmed by transplantation test in nude mice. The protein expression in thymus/bone marrow in irradiation groups was significantly higher than that in controls (P 2 was found to be hyper-phosphorylated in the cancerization group as compared with other groups. No gene mutation was detected by SSCP/silver-staining assay in the tumor samples. Conclusion: MDM 2 may be involved in the development and progression of leukemia induced by γ-irradiation. The over-expression but not gene mutation may be responsible for malignant transformation induced by radiation. Phosphorylation is at least partly attributed to activation of MDM 2

  15. Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of 2,5-Diketopiperazines as Inhibitors of the MDM2-p53 Interaction.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariell Pettersson

    Full Text Available The transcription factor p53 is the main tumour suppressor in cells and many cancer types have p53 mutations resulting in a loss of its function. In tumours that retain wild-type p53 function, p53 activity is down-regulated by MDM2 (human murine double minute 2 via a direct protein-protein interaction. We have designed and synthesised two series of 2,5-diketopiperazines as inhibitors of the MDM2-p53 interaction. The first set was designed to directly mimic the α-helical region of the p53 peptide, containing key residues in the i, i+4 and i+7 positions of a natural α-helix. Conformational analysis indicated that 1,3,6-trisubstituted 2,5-diketopiperazines were able to place substituents in the same spatial orientation as an α-helix template. The key step of the synthesis involved the cyclisation of substituted dipeptides. The other set of tetrasubstituted 2,5-diketopiperazines were designed based on structure-based docking studies and the Ugi multicomponent reaction was used for the synthesis. This latter set comprised the most potent inhibitors which displayed micromolar IC50-values in a biochemical fluorescence polarisation assay.

  16. MDM2 promoter SNP344T>A (rs1196333) status does not affect cancer risk

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S. Knappskog (Stian); L.B. Gansmo (Liv); P. Romundstad (Pål); M. Bjørnslett (Merete); J. Trovik (Jone); J. Sommerfelt-Pettersen (Jan); E. Løkkevik (Erik); R.A.E.M. Tollenaar (Rob); C.M. Seynaeve (Caroline); P. Devilee (Peter); H.B. Salvesen (Helga); A. Dørum (Anne); K. Hveem (Kristian); L.J. Vatten (Lars); P.E. Lønning (Per )

    2012-01-01

    textabstractThe MDM2 proto-oncogene plays a key role in central cellular processes like growth control and apoptosis, and the gene locus is frequently amplified in sarcomas. Two polymorphisms located in the MDM2 promoter P2 have been shown to affect cancer risk. One of these polymorphisms

  17. Phosphorylation of the Mdm2 oncoprotein by the c-Abl tyrosine kinase regulates p53 tumor suppression and the radiosensitivity of mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, Michael I; Roderick, Justine E; Zhang, Hong; Woda, Bruce A; Kelliher, Michelle A; Jones, Stephen N

    2016-12-27

    The p53 tumor suppressor acts as a guardian of the genome by preventing the propagation of DNA damage-induced breaks and mutations to subsequent generations of cells. We have previously shown that phosphorylation of the Mdm2 oncoprotein at Ser394 by the ATM kinase is required for robust p53 stabilization and activation in cells treated with ionizing radiation, and that loss of Mdm2 Ser394 phosphorylation leads to spontaneous tumorigenesis and radioresistance in Mdm2 S394A mice. Previous in vitro data indicate that the c-Abl kinase phosphorylates Mdm2 at the neighboring residue (Tyr393) in response to DNA damage to regulate p53-dependent apoptosis. In this present study, we have generated an Mdm2 mutant mouse (Mdm2 Y393F ) to determine whether c-Abl phosphorylation of Mdm2 regulates the p53-mediated DNA damage response or p53 tumor suppression in vivo. The Mdm2 Y393F mice develop accelerated spontaneous and oncogene-induced tumors, yet display no defects in p53 stabilization and activity following acute genotoxic stress. Although apoptosis is unaltered in these mice, they recover more rapidly from radiation-induced bone marrow ablation and are more resistant to whole-body radiation-induced lethality. These data reveal an in vivo role for c-Abl phosphorylation of Mdm2 in regulation of p53 tumor suppression and bone marrow failure. However, c-Abl phosphorylation of Mdm2 Tyr393 appears to play a lesser role in governing Mdm2-p53 signaling than ATM phosphorylation of Mdm2 Ser394. Furthermore, the effects of these phosphorylation events on p53 regulation are not additive, as Mdm2 Y393F/S394A mice and Mdm2 S394A mice display similar phenotypes.

  18. Association of TP53 and MDM2 polymorphisms with survival in bladder cancer patients treated with chemoradiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shinohara, Asano; Sakano, Shigeru; Hinoda, Yuji; Nishijima, Jun; Kawai, Yoshihisa; Misumi, Taku; Nagao, Kazuhiro; Hara, Takahiko; Matsuyama, Hideyasu

    2009-01-01

    Platinum-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT) as bladder conservation therapy has shown promising results for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. However, CRT might diminish survival as a result of the delay in cystectomy for some patients with non-responding bladder tumors. Because the p53 tumor suppression pathway, including its MDM2 counterpart, is important in chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-associated effects, functional polymorphisms in the TP53 and MDM2 genes could influence the response to treatment and the prognosis following CRT. We investigated associations between two such polymorphisms, and p53 overexpression, and response or survival in bladder cancer patients treated with CRT. The study group comprised 96 patients who underwent CRT for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TP53 (codon 72, arginine>proline) and MDM2 (SNP3O9, T>G) were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), and nuclear expression levels of p53 were examined using immunohistochemistry. None of the genotypes or p53 overexpression was significantly associated with response to CRT. However, patients with MDM2 T/G+G/G genotypes had improved cancer-specific survival rates after CRT (P=0.009). In multivariate analysis, the MDM2 T/G+G/G genotypes, and more than two of total variant alleles in TP53 and MDM2, were independently associated with improved cancer-specific survival (P=0.031 and P=0.015, respectively). In addition, MDM2 genotypes were significantly associated with cystectomy-free survival (P=0.030). These results suggest that the TP53 and MDM2 genotypes might be useful prognostic factors following CRT in bladder cancer, helping patient selection for bladder conservation therapy. (author)

  19. MDM2 inhibition rescues neurogenic and cognitive deficits in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yue; Stockton, Michael E; Bhuiyan, Ismat; Eisinger, Brian E; Gao, Yu; Miller, Jessica L; Bhattacharyya, Anita; Zhao, Xinyu

    2016-04-27

    Fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited intellectual disability, is caused by loss of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). However, the mechanism remains unclear, and effective treatment is lacking. We show that loss of FMRP leads to activation of adult mouse neural stem cells (NSCs) and a subsequent reduction in the production of neurons. We identified the ubiquitin ligase mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) as a target of FMRP. FMRP regulates Mdm2 mRNA stability, and loss of FMRP resulted in elevated MDM2 mRNA and protein. Further, we found that increased MDM2 expression led to reduced P53 expression in adult mouse NSCs, leading to alterations in NSC proliferation and differentiation. Treatment with Nutlin-3, a small molecule undergoing clinical trials for treating cancer, specifically inhibited the interaction of MDM2 with P53, and rescued neurogenic and cognitive deficits in FMRP-deficient mice. Our data reveal a potential regulatory role for FMRP in the balance between adult NSC activation and quiescence, and identify a potential new treatment for fragile X syndrome. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  20. Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization for MDM2 Amplification as a Routine Ancillary Diagnostic Tool for Suspected Well-Differentiated and Dedifferentiated Liposarcomas: Experience at a Tertiary Center

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khin Thway

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The assessment of MDM2 gene amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH has become a routine ancillary tool for diagnosing atypical lipomatous tumor (ALT/well-differentiated liposarcoma and dedifferentiated liposarcoma (WDL/DDL in specialist sarcoma units. We describe our experience of its utility at our tertiary institute. Methods. All routine histology samples in which MDM2 amplification was assessed with FISH over a 2-year period were included, and FISH results were correlated with clinical and histologic findings. Results. 365 samples from 347 patients had FISH for MDM2 gene amplification. 170 were positive (i.e., showed MDM2 gene amplification, 192 were negative, and 3 were technically unsatisfactory. There were 122 histologically benign cases showing a histology:FISH concordance rate of 92.6%, 142 WDL/DDL (concordance 96.5%, and 34 cases histologically equivocal for WDL (concordance 50%. Of 64 spindle cell/pleomorphic neoplasms (in which DDL was a differential diagnosis, 21.9% showed MDM2 amplification. Of the cases with discrepant histology and FISH, all but 3 had diagnoses amended following FISH results. For discrepancies of benign histology but positive FISH, lesions were on average larger, more frequently in “classical” (intra-abdominal or inguinal sites for WDL/DDL and more frequently core biopsies. Discrepancies of malignant histology but negative FISH were smaller, less frequently in “classical” sites but again more frequently core biopsies. Conclusions. FISH has a high correlation rate with histology for cases with firm histologic diagnoses of lipoma or WDL/DDL. It is a useful ancillary diagnostic tool in histologically equivocal cases, particularly in WDL lacking significant histologic atypia or DDL without corresponding WDL component, especially in larger tumors, those from intra-abdominal or inguinal sites or core biopsies. There is a significant group of well-differentiated adipocytic neoplasms

  1. MDM2 SNP309, gene-gene interaction, and tumor susceptibility: an updated meta-analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wu Wei

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The tumor suppressor gene p53 is involved in multiple cellular pathways including apoptosis, transcriptional control, and cell cycle regulation. In the last decade it has been demonstrated that the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP at codon 72 of the p53 gene is associated with the risk for development of various neoplasms. MDM2 SNP309 is a single nucleotide T to G polymorphism located in the MDM2 gene promoter. From the time that this well-characterized functional polymorphism was identified, a variety of case-control studies have been published that investigate the possible association between MDM2 SNP309 and cancer risk. However, the results of the published studies, as well as the subsequent meta-analyses, remain contradictory. Methods To investigate whether currently published epidemiological studies can clarify the potential interaction between MDM2 SNP309 and the functional genetic variant in p53 codon72 (Arg72Pro and p53 mutation status, we performed a meta-analysis of the risk estimate on 27,813 cases with various tumor types and 30,295 controls. Results The data we reviewed indicated that variant homozygote 309GG and heterozygote 309TG were associated with a significant increased risk of all tumor types (homozygote comparison: odds ratio (OR = 1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI = 1.13-1.37; heterozygote comparison: OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.03-1.17. We also found that the combination of GG and Pro/Pro, TG and Pro/Pro, GG and Arg/Arg significantly increased the risk of cancer (OR = 3.38, 95% CI = 1.77-6.47; OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.26-2.81; OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.01-3.78, respectively. In a stratified analysis by tumor location, we also found a significant increased risk in brain, liver, stomach and uterus cancer (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.06-2.03; OR = 2.24, 95%CI = 1.57-3.18; OR = 1.54, 95%CI = 1.04-2.29; OR = 1.34, 95%CI = 1.07-1.29, respectively. However, no association was seen between MDM2 SNP309 and tumor susceptibility

  2. Cardiac-specific ablation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Mdm2 leads to oxidative stress, broad mitochondrial deficiency and early death.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ludger Hauck

    Full Text Available The maintenance of normal heart function requires proper control of protein turnover. The ubiquitin-proteasome system is a principal regulator of protein degradation. Mdm2 is the main E3 ubiquitin ligase for p53 in mitotic cells thereby regulating cellular growth, DNA repair, oxidative stress and apoptosis. However, which of these Mdm2-related activities are preserved in differentiated cardiomyocytes has yet to be determined. We sought to elucidate the role of Mdm2 in the control of normal heart function. We observed markedly reduced Mdm2 mRNA levels accompanied by highly elevated p53 protein expression in the hearts of wild type mice subjected to myocardial infarction or trans-aortic banding. Accordingly, we generated conditional cardiac-specific Mdm2 gene knockout (Mdm2f/f;mcm mice. In adulthood, Mdm2f/f;mcm mice developed spontaneous cardiac hypertrophy, left ventricular dysfunction with early mortality post-tamoxifen. A decreased polyubiquitination of myocardial p53 was observed, leading to its stabilization and activation, in the absence of acute stress. In addition, transcriptomic analysis of Mdm2-deficient hearts revealed that there is an induction of E2f1 and c-Myc mRNA levels with reduced expression of the Pgc-1a/Ppara/Esrrb/g axis and Pink1. This was associated with a significant degree of cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and an inhibition of redox homeostasis and mitochondrial bioenergetics. All these processes are early, Mdm2-associated events and contribute to the development of pathological hypertrophy. Our genetic and biochemical data support a role for Mdm2 in cardiac growth control through the regulation of p53, the Pgc-1 family of transcriptional coactivators and the pivotal antioxidant Pink1.

  3. A p53-independent role for the MDM2 antagonist Nutlin-3 in DNA damage response initiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kumar Sonia

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The mammalian DNA-damage response (DDR has evolved to protect genome stability and maximize cell survival following DNA-damage. One of the key regulators of the DDR is p53, itself tightly regulated by MDM2. Following double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs, mediators including ATM are recruited to the site of DNA-damage. Subsequent phosphorylation of p53 by ATM and ATM-induced CHK2 results in p53 stabilization, ultimately intensifying transcription of p53-responsive genes involved in DNA repair, cell-cycle checkpoint control and apoptosis. Methods In the current study, we investigated the stabilization and activation of p53 and associated DDR proteins in response to treatment of human colorectal cancer cells (HCT116p53+/+ with the MDM2 antagonist, Nutlin-3. Results Using immunoblotting, Nutlin-3 was observed to stabilize p53, and activate p53 target proteins. Unexpectedly, Nutlin-3 also mediated phosphorylation of p53 at key DNA-damage-specific serine residues (Ser15, 20 and 37. Furthermore, Nutlin-3 induced activation of CHK2 and ATM - proteins required for DNA-damage-dependent phosphorylation and activation of p53, and the phosphorylation of BRCA1 and H2AX - proteins known to be activated specifically in response to DNA damage. Indeed, using immunofluorescent labeling, Nutlin-3 was seen to induce formation of γH2AX foci, an early hallmark of the DDR. Moreover, Nutlin-3 induced phosphorylation of key DDR proteins, initiated cell cycle arrest and led to formation of γH2AX foci in cells lacking p53, whilst γH2AX foci were also noted in MDM2-deficient cells. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first solid evidence showing a secondary role for Nutlin-3 as a DDR triggering agent, independent of p53 status, and unrelated to its role as an MDM2 antagonist.

  4. Oral nano-delivery of anticancer ginsenoside 25-OCH3-PPD, a natural inhibitor of the MDM2 oncogene: Nanoparticle preparation, characterization, in vitro and in vivo anti-prostate cancer activity, and mechanisms of action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voruganti, Sukesh; Qin, Jiang-Jiang; Sarkar, Sushanta; Nag, Subhasree; Walbi, Ismail A; Wang, Shu; Zhao, Yuqing; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Ruiwen

    2015-08-28

    The Mouse Double Minute 2 (MDM2) oncogene plays a critical role in cancer development and progression through p53-dependent and p53-independent mechanisms. Both natural and synthetic MDM2 inhibitors have been shown anticancer activity against several human cancers. We have recently identified a novel ginsenoside, 25-OCH3-PPD (GS25), one of the most active anticancer ginsenosides discovered thus far, and have demonstrated its MDM2 inhibition and anticancer activity in various human cancer models, including prostate cancer. However, the oral bioavailability of GS25 is limited, which hampers its further development as an oral anticancer agent. The present study was designed to develop a novel nanoparticle formulation for oral delivery of GS25. After GS25 was successfully encapsulated into PEG-PLGA nanoparticles (GS25NP) and its physicochemical properties were characterized, the efficiency of MDM2 targeting, anticancer efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and safety were evaluated in in vitro and in vivo models of human prostate cancer. Our results indicated that, compared with the unencapsulated GS25, GS25NP demonstrated better MDM2 inhibition, improved oral bioavailability and enhanced in vitro and in vivo activities. In conclusion, the validated nano-formulation for GS25 oral delivery improves its molecular targeting, oral bioavailability and anticancer efficacy, providing a basis for further development of GS25 as a novel agent for cancer therapy and prevention.

  5. Association between MDM2 SNP309 T>G polymorphism and the risk of bladder cancer: new data in a Chinese population and an updated meta-analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Xie, Linguo; Sun, Yan; Chen, Tao; Tian, Dawei; Li, Yujuan; Zhang, Yu; Ding, Na; Shen, Zhonghua; Xu, Hao; Nian, Xuewu; Sha, Nan; Han, Ruifa; Hu, Hailong; Wu, Changli

    2015-01-01

    Linguo Xie,1,2,* Yan Sun,2,* Tao Chen,1,2,* Dawei Tian,1,2 Yujuan Li,3 Yu Zhang,1,2 Na Ding,2 Zhonghua Shen,1,2 Hao Xu,1,2 Xuewu Nian,4 Nan Sha,1,2 Ruifa Han,1,2 Hailong Hu,1,2 Changli Wu1,2 Objective: Human murine double minute 2 protein (MDM2) is mainly a negative regulator of p53 tumor suppressor pathway. We aimed to investigate the association between MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism and bladder cancer risk. Methods: A total of 535 bladder cancer patients and 649 health controls were recruited f...

  6. MAGE-A Cancer/Testis Antigens Inhibit MDM2 Ubiquitylation Function and Promote Increased Levels of MDM4

    OpenAIRE

    Marcar, Lynnette; Ihrig, Bianca; Hourihan, John; Bray, Susan E; Quinlan, Philip R; Jordan, Lee B; Thompson, Alastair M; Hupp, Ted R; Meek, David W

    2015-01-01

    Melanoma antigen A (MAGE-A) proteins comprise a structurally and biochemically similar sub-family of Cancer/Testis antigens that are expressed in many cancer types and are thought to contribute actively to malignancy. MAGE-A proteins are established regulators of certain cancer-associated transcription factors, including p53, and are activators of several RING finger-dependent ubiquitin E3 ligases. Here, we show that MAGE-A2 associates with MDM2, a ubiquitin E3 ligase that mediates ubiquityla...

  7. Phosphorylation of murine double minute clone 2 (MDM2) protein at serine-267 by protein kinase CK2 in vitro and in cultured cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjerrild, M; Milne, D; Dumaz, N

    2001-01-01

    Murine double minute clone 2 oncoprotein (MDM2) is a key component in the regulation of the tumour suppressor p53. MDM2 mediates the ubiqutination of p53 in the capacity of an E3 ligase and targets p53 for rapid degradation by the proteasome. Stress signals which impinge on p53, leading to its...

  8. Ribosomal protein-Mdm2-p53 pathway coordinates nutrient stress with lipid metabolism by regulating MCD and promoting fatty acid oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yong; He, Yizhou; Jin, Aiwen; Tikunov, Andrey P; Zhou, Lishi; Tollini, Laura A; Leslie, Patrick; Kim, Tae-Hyung; Li, Lei O; Coleman, Rosalind A; Gu, Zhennan; Chen, Yong Q; Macdonald, Jeffrey M; Graves, Lee M; Zhang, Yanping

    2014-06-10

    The tumor suppressor p53 has recently been shown to regulate energy metabolism through multiple mechanisms. However, the in vivo signaling pathways related to p53-mediated metabolic regulation remain largely uncharacterized. By using mice bearing a single amino acid substitution at cysteine residue 305 of mouse double minute 2 (Mdm2(C305F)), which renders Mdm2 deficient in binding ribosomal proteins (RPs) RPL11 and RPL5, we show that the RP-Mdm2-p53 signaling pathway is critical for sensing nutrient deprivation and maintaining liver lipid homeostasis. Although the Mdm2(C305F) mutation does not significantly affect growth and development in mice, this mutation promotes fat accumulation under normal feeding conditions and hepatosteatosis under acute fasting conditions. We show that nutrient deprivation inhibits rRNA biosynthesis, increases RP-Mdm2 interaction, and induces p53-mediated transactivation of malonyl-CoA decarboxylase (MCD), which catalyzes the degradation of malonyl-CoA to acetyl-CoA, thus modulating lipid partitioning. Fasted Mdm2(C305F) mice demonstrate attenuated MCD induction and enhanced malonyl-CoA accumulation in addition to decreased oxidative respiration and increased fatty acid accumulation in the liver. Thus, the RP-Mdm2-p53 pathway appears to function as an endogenous sensor responsible for stimulating fatty acid oxidation in response to nutrient depletion.

  9. Convergent solid-phase and solution approaches in the synthesis of the cysteine-rich Mdm2 RING finger domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasileiou, Zoe; Barlos, Kostas; Gatos, Dimitrios

    2009-12-01

    The RING finger domain of the Mdm2, located at the C-terminus of the protein, is necessary for regulation of p53, a tumor suppressor protein. The 48-residues long Mdm2 peptide is an important target for studying its interaction with small anticancer drug candidates. For the chemical synthesis of the Mdm2 RING finger domain, the fragment condensation on solid-phase and the fragment condensation in solution were studied. The latter method was performed using either protected or free peptides at the C-terminus as the amino component. Best results were achieved using solution condensation where the N-component was applied with the C-terminal carboxyl group left unprotected. The developed method is well suited for large-scale synthesis of Mdm2 RING finger domain, combining the advantages of both solid-phase and solution synthesis. (c) 2009 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. ATM phosphorylation of Mdm2 Ser394 regulates the amplitude and duration of the DNA damage response in mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gannon, Hugh S.; Woda, Bruce A.; Jones, Stephen N.

    2012-01-01

    Summary DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation (IR) activates the ATM kinase, which subsequently stabilizes and activates the p53 tumor suppressor protein. Although phosphorylation of p53 by ATM was found previously to modulate p53 levels and transcriptional activities in vivo, it does not appear to be a major regulator of p53 stability. We have utilized mice bearing altered Mdm2 alleles to demonstrate that ATM phosphorylation of Mdm2 serine 394 is required for robust p53 stabilization and activation after DNA damage. In addition, we demonstrate that dephosphorylation of Mdm2 Ser394 regulates attenuation of the p53-mediated response to DNA damage. Therefore, the phosphorylation status of Mdm2 Ser394 governs p53 protein levels and functions in cells undergoing DNA damage. PMID:22624716

  11. Modulation of mdm2 pre-mRNA splicing by 9-aminoacridine-PNA (peptide nucleic acid) conjugates targeting intron-exon junctions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shiraishi, Takehiko; Eysturskard, Jonhard; Nielsen, Peter E

    2010-01-01

    ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Modulation of pre-mRNA splicing by antisense molecules is a promising mechanism of action for gene therapeutic drugs. In this study, we have examined the potential of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) 9-aminoacridine conjugates to modulate the pre-mRNA splicing of the mdm2 human ca...

  12. Association between MDM2 SNP309 T>G polymorphism and the risk of bladder cancer: new data in a Chinese population and an updated meta-analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xie LG

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Linguo Xie,1,2,* Yan Sun,2,* Tao Chen,1,2,* Dawei Tian,1,2 Yujuan Li,3 Yu Zhang,1,2 Na Ding,2 Zhonghua Shen,1,2 Hao Xu,1,2 Xuewu Nian,4 Nan Sha,1,2 Ruifa Han,1,2 Hailong Hu,1,2 Changli Wu1,2 Objective: Human murine double minute 2 protein (MDM2 is mainly a negative regulator of p53 tumor suppressor pathway. We aimed to investigate the association between MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism and bladder cancer risk. Methods: A total of 535 bladder cancer patients and 649 health controls were recruited for our study. MDM2 SNP309 T>G polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction method. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between the genotype and susceptibility of bladder cancer. Kaplan–Meier estimates and log-rank test were obtained to analyze the association between the genotype and risk of recrudesce in nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer patients. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was fitted to identify independent prognostic factors. To further investigate the association, we conducted a meta-analysis including six studies. Results: The frequency of the MDM2 SNP309 T>G polymorphism showed no significant difference between cases and controls (all P>0.05. In the stratification analysis, the results showed that G allele carriers were prone to have a significant decrease in risk of low-grade bladder cancer (adjusted odds ratio: 0.613, 95% confidence interval: 0.427–0.881, and G variant was associated with a significantly reduced risk of recurrence in nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer patients with or without chemotherapy (P<0.05. The results of the meta-analysis showed that G allele and GG genotype of MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism were significantly associated with increased risk of bladder cancer in Caucasians (both P<0.05, and no association was observed in total populations and Asians (P>0.05. Conclusion: MDM2 SNP309 T>G polymorphism has no influence on bladder cancer risk in Asians, but

  13. MDM2 SNP309 and SNP285 Act as Negative Prognostic Markers for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Adenocarcinoma Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deben, Christophe; Op de Beeck, Ken; Van den Bossche, Jolien; Jacobs, Julie; Lardon, Filip; Wouters, An; Peeters, Marc; Van Camp, Guy; Rolfo, Christian; Deschoolmeester, Vanessa; Pauwels, Patrick

    2017-01-01

    Objectives: Two functional polymorphisms in the MDM2 promoter region, SNP309T>G and SNP285G>C, have been shown to impact MDM2 expression and cancer risk. Currently available data on the prognostic value of MDM2 SNP309 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is contradictory and unavailable for SNP285. The goal of this study was to clarify the role of these MDM2 SNPs in the outcome of NSCLC patients. Materials and Methods: In this study we genotyped SNP309 and SNP285 in 98 NSCLC adenocarcinoma patients and determined MDM2 mRNA and protein levels. In addition, we assessed the prognostic value of these common SNPs on overall and progression free survival, taking into account the TP53 status of the tumor. Results and Conclusion: We found that the SNP285C allele, but not the SNP309G allele, was significantly associated with increased MDM2 mRNA expression levels (p = 0.025). However, we did not observe an association with MDM2 protein levels for SNP285. The SNP309G allele was significantly associated with the presence of wild type TP53 (p = 0.047) and showed a strong trend towards increased MDM2 protein levels (p = 0.068). In addition, patients harboring the SNP309G allele showed a worse overall survival, but only in the presence of wild type TP53. The SNP285C allele was significantly associated with an early age of diagnosis and metastasis. Additionally, the SNP285C allele acted as an independent predictor for worse progression free survival (HR = 3.97; 95% CI = 1.51 - 10.42; p = 0.005). Our data showed that both SNP309 (in the presence of wild type TP53) and SNP285 act as negative prognostic markers for NSCLC patients, implicating a prominent role for these variants in the outcome of these patients. PMID:28819417

  14. Exploiting the MDM2-CK1α Protein-Protein Interface to Develop Novel Biologics That Induce UBL-Kinase-Modification and Inhibit Cell Growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huart, Anne-Sophie; MacLaine, Nicola J.; Narayan, Vikram; Hupp, Ted R.

    2012-01-01

    Protein-protein interactions forming dominant signalling events are providing ever-growing platforms for the development of novel Biologic tools for controlling cell growth. Casein Kinase 1 α (CK1α) forms a genetic and physical interaction with the murine double minute chromosome 2 (MDM2) oncoprotein resulting in degradation of the p53 tumour suppressor. Pharmacological inhibition of CK1 increases p53 protein level and induces cell death, whilst small interfering RNA-mediated depletion of CK1α stabilizes p53 and induces growth arrest. We mapped the dominant protein-protein interface that stabilizes the MDM2 and CK1α complex in order to determine whether a peptide derived from the core CK1α-MDM2 interface form novel Biologics that can be used to probe the contribution of the CK1-MDM2 protein-protein interaction to p53 activation and cell viability. Overlapping peptides derived from CK1α were screened for dominant MDM2 binding sites using (i) ELISA with recombinant MDM2; (ii) cell lysate pull-down towards endogenous MDM2; (iii) MDM2-CK1α complex-based competition ELISA; and (iv) MDM2-mediated ubiquitination. One dominant peptide, peptide 35 was bioactive in all four assays and its transfection induced cell death/growth arrest in a p53-independent manner. Ectopic expression of flag-tagged peptide 35 induced a novel ubiquitin and NEDD8 modification of CK1α, providing one of the first examples whereby NEDDylation of a protein kinase can be induced. These data identify an MDM2 binding motif in CK1α which when isolated as a small peptide can (i) function as a dominant negative inhibitor of the CK1α-MDM2 interface, (ii) be used as a tool to study NEDDylation of CK1α, and (iii) reduce cell growth. Further, this approach provides a technological blueprint, complementing siRNA and chemical biology approaches, by exploiting protein-protein interactions in order to develop Biologics to manipulate novel types of signalling pathways such as cross-talk between

  15. Exploiting the MDM2-CK1α protein-protein interface to develop novel biologics that induce UBL-kinase-modification and inhibit cell growth.

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    Anne-Sophie Huart

    Full Text Available Protein-protein interactions forming dominant signalling events are providing ever-growing platforms for the development of novel Biologic tools for controlling cell growth. Casein Kinase 1 α (CK1α forms a genetic and physical interaction with the murine double minute chromosome 2 (MDM2 oncoprotein resulting in degradation of the p53 tumour suppressor. Pharmacological inhibition of CK1 increases p53 protein level and induces cell death, whilst small interfering RNA-mediated depletion of CK1α stabilizes p53 and induces growth arrest. We mapped the dominant protein-protein interface that stabilizes the MDM2 and CK1α complex in order to determine whether a peptide derived from the core CK1α-MDM2 interface form novel Biologics that can be used to probe the contribution of the CK1-MDM2 protein-protein interaction to p53 activation and cell viability. Overlapping peptides derived from CK1α were screened for dominant MDM2 binding sites using (i ELISA with recombinant MDM2; (ii cell lysate pull-down towards endogenous MDM2; (iii MDM2-CK1α complex-based competition ELISA; and (iv MDM2-mediated ubiquitination. One dominant peptide, peptide 35 was bioactive in all four assays and its transfection induced cell death/growth arrest in a p53-independent manner. Ectopic expression of flag-tagged peptide 35 induced a novel ubiquitin and NEDD8 modification of CK1α, providing one of the first examples whereby NEDDylation of a protein kinase can be induced. These data identify an MDM2 binding motif in CK1α which when isolated as a small peptide can (i function as a dominant negative inhibitor of the CK1α-MDM2 interface, (ii be used as a tool to study NEDDylation of CK1α, and (iii reduce cell growth. Further, this approach provides a technological blueprint, complementing siRNA and chemical biology approaches, by exploiting protein-protein interactions in order to develop Biologics to manipulate novel types of signalling pathways such as cross

  16. p21(Waf1/Cip1) expression and the p53/MDM2 feedback loop in gastric carcinogenesis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Craanen, M. E.; Blok, P.; Offerhaus, G. J.; Meijer, G. A.; Dekker, W.; Kuipers, E. J.; Meuwissen, S. G.

    1999-01-01

    Data are non-existent regarding coincidental alterations in the expression of p53 and its downstream target genes MDM2 and p21(Waf1/Cip1) in gastric carcinogenesis. An immunohistochemical study was therefore performed to examine the interrelationships of p53, MDM2, and p21(Waf1/Cip1) expression in a

  17. Disruption of the 5S RNP-Mdm2 interaction significantly improves the erythroid defect in a mouse model for Diamond-Blackfan anemia.

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    Jaako, P; Debnath, S; Olsson, K; Zhang, Y; Flygare, J; Lindström, M S; Bryder, D; Karlsson, S

    2015-11-01

    Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) is a congenital erythroid hypoplasia caused by haploinsufficiency of genes encoding ribosomal proteins (RPs). Perturbed ribosome biogenesis in DBA has been shown to induce a p53-mediated ribosomal stress response. However, the mechanisms of p53 activation and its relevance for the erythroid defect remain elusive. Previous studies have indicated that activation of p53 is caused by the inhibition of mouse double minute 2 (Mdm2), the main negative regulator of p53, by the 5S ribonucleoprotein particle (RNP). Meanwhile, it is not clear whether this mechanism solely mediates the p53-dependent component found in DBA. To approach this question, we crossed our mouse model for RPS19-deficient DBA with Mdm2(C305F) knock-in mice that have a disrupted 5S RNP-Mdm2 interaction. Upon induction of the Rps19 deficiency, Mdm2(C305F) reversed the p53 response and improved expansion of hematopoietic progenitors in vitro, and ameliorated the anemia in vivo. Unexpectedly, disruption of the 5S RNP-Mdm2 interaction also led to selective defect in erythropoiesis. Our findings highlight the sensitivity of erythroid progenitor cells to aberrations in p53 homeostasis mediated by the 5S RNP-Mdm2 interaction. Finally, we provide evidence indicating that physiological activation of the 5S RNP-Mdm2-p53 pathway may contribute to functional decline of the hematopoietic system in a cell-autonomous manner over time.

  18. Crystal structure of Mdm12 and combinatorial reconstitution of Mdm12/Mmm1 ERMES complexes for structural studies

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    AhYoung, Andrew P.; Lu, Brian; Cascio, Duilio; Egea, Pascal F.

    2017-06-01

    Membrane contact sites between organelles serve as molecular hubs for the exchange of metabolites and signals. In yeast, the Endoplasmic Reticulum – Mitochondrion Encounter Structure (ERMES) tethers these two organelles likely to facilitate the non-vesicular exchange of essential phospholipids. Present in Fungi and Amoebas but not in Metazoans, ERMES is composed of five distinct subunits; among those, Mdm12, Mmm1 and Mdm34 each contain an SMP domain functioning as a lipid transfer module. We previously showed that the SMP domains of Mdm12 and Mmm1 form a hetero-tetramer. Here we describe our strategy to diversify the number of Mdm12/Mmm1 complexes suited for structural studies. We use sequence analysis of orthologues combined to protein engineering of disordered regions to guide the design of protein constructs and expand the repertoire of Mdm12/Mmm1 complexes more likely to crystallize. Using this combinatorial approach we report crystals of Mdm12/Mmm1 ERMES complexes currently diffracting to 4.5 Å resolution and a new structure of Mdm12 solved at 4.1 Å resolution. Our structure reveals a monomeric form of Mdm12 with a conformationally dynamic N-terminal β-strand; it differs from a previously reported homodimeric structure where the N-terminal β strands where swapped to promote dimerization. Based on our electron microscopy data, we propose a refined pseudo-atomic model of the Mdm12/Mmm1 complex that agrees with our crystallographic and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) solution data.

  19. C-terminal substitution of MDM2 interacting peptides modulates binding affinity by distinctive mechanisms.

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    Christopher J Brown

    Full Text Available The complex between the proteins MDM2 and p53 is a promising drug target for cancer therapy. The residues 19-26 of p53 have been biochemically and structurally demonstrated to be a most critical region to maintain the association of MDM2 and p53. Variation of the amino acid sequence in this range obviously alters the binding affinity. Surprisingly, suitable substitutions contiguous to this region of the p53 peptides can yield tightly binding peptides. The peptide variants may differ by a single residue that vary little in their structural conformations and yet are characterized by large differences in their binding affinities. In this study a systematic analysis into the role of single C-terminal mutations of a 12 residue fragment of the p53 transactivation domain (TD and an equivalent phage optimized peptide (12/1 were undertaken to elucidate their mechanistic and thermodynamic differences in interacting with the N-terminal of MDM2. The experimental results together with atomistically detailed dynamics simulations provide insight into the principles that govern peptide design protocols with regard to protein-protein interactions and peptidomimetic design.

  20. Influence of the MDM2 single nucleotide polymorphism SNP309 on tumour development in BRCA1 mutation carriers

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    Johnson Peter W

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The MDM2 gene encodes a negative regulator of the p53 tumour suppressor protein. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP in the MDM2 promoter (a T to G exchange at nucleotide 309 has been reported to produce accelerated tumour formation in individuals with inherited p53 mutations. We have investigated the effect of the MDM2 SNP309 on clinical outcome in a cohort of patients with germline mutations of BRCA1. Methods Genomic DNA was obtained for 102 healthy controls and 116 patients with established pathogenic mutations of BRCA1 and Pyrosequencing technology™ was used to determine the genotype at the MDM2 SNP309 locus. Results The polymorphism was present in 52.9% of the controls (G/T in 37.3% and G/G in 15.6% and 58.6% of the BRCA1 mutation carriers (47.4% G/T and 11.2% G/G. Incidence of malignancy in female BRCA1 carriers was not significantly higher in SNP309 carriers than in wildtype (T/T individuals (72.7% vs. 75.6%, p = 1.00. Mean age of diagnosis of first breast cancer was 41.2 years in the SNP309 G/G genotype carriers, 38.6 years in those with the SNP309 G/T genotype and 39.0 years in wildtype subjects (p = 0.80. Conclusion We found no evidence that the MDM2 SNP309 accelerates tumour development in carriers of known pathogenic germline mutations of BRCA1.

  1. Predictive and prognostic impact of TP53 mutations and MDM2 promoter genotype in primary breast cancer patients treated with epirubicin or paclitaxel.

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    Ranjan Chrisanthar

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: TP53 mutations have been associated with resistance to anthracyclines but not to taxanes in breast cancer patients. The MDM2 promoter single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP T309G increases MDM2 activity and may reduce wild-type p53 protein activity. Here, we explored the predictive and prognostic value of TP53 and CHEK2 mutation status together with MDM2 SNP309 genotype in stage III breast cancer patients receiving paclitaxel or epirubicin monotherapy. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Each patient was randomly assigned to treatment with epirubicin 90 mg/m(2 (n = 109 or paclitaxel 200 mg/m(2 (n = 114 every 3rd week as monotherapy for 4-6 cycles. Patients obtaining a suboptimal response on first-line treatment requiring further chemotherapy received the opposite regimen. Time from last patient inclusion to follow-up censoring was 69 months. Each patient had snap-frozen tumor tissue specimens collected prior to commencing chemotherapy. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: While TP53 and CHEK2 mutations predicted resistance to epirubicin, MDM2 status did not. Neither TP53/CHEK2 mutations nor MDM2 status was associated with paclitaxel response. Remarkably, TP53 mutations (p = 0.007 but also MDM2 309TG/GG genotype status (p = 0.012 were associated with a poor disease-specific survival among patients having paclitaxel but not patients having epirubicin first-line. The effect of MDM2 status was observed among individuals harbouring wild-type TP53 (p = 0.039 but not among individuals with TP53 mutated tumors (p>0.5. CONCLUSION: TP53 and CHEK2 mutations were associated with lack of response to epirubicin monotherapy. In contrast, TP53 mutations and MDM2 309G allele status conferred poor disease-specific survival among patients treated with primary paclitaxel but not epirubicin monotherapy.

  2. MDM2 Amplification and PI3KCA Mutation in a Case of Sclerosing Rhabdomyosarcoma

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    Ken Kikuchi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A rare sclerosing variant of rhabdomyosarcoma characterized by prominent hyalinization and pseudovascular pattern has recently been described as a subtype biologically distinct from embryonal, alveolar, and pleomorphic forms. We present cytogenetic and molecular findings as well as experimental studies of an unusual case of sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma. The primary lesion arose within the plantar subcutaneous tissue of the left foot of an otherwise healthy 23-year-old male who eventually developed pulmonary nodules despite systemic chemotherapy. Two genetic abnormalities identified in surgical and/or autopsy samples of the tumor were introduced into 10T1/2 murine fibroblasts to determine whether these genetic changes cooperatively facilitated transformation and growth. Cytogenetic analysis revealed a complex abnormal hyperdiploid clone, and MDM2 gene amplification was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Cancer gene mutation screening using a combination of multiplexed PCR and mass spectroscopy revealed a PIK3CA exon 20 H1047R mutation in the primary tumor, lung metastasis, and liver metastasis. However, this mutation was not cooperative with MDM2 overexpression in experimental assays for transformation or growth. Nevertheless, MDM2 and PIK3CA are genes worthy of further investigation in patients with sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma and might be considered in the enrollment of these patients into clinical trials of targeted therapeutics.

  3. Targeting MDM2 by the small molecule RITA: towards the development of new multi-target drugs against cancer

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    Espinoza-Fonseca L Michel

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The use of low-molecular-weight, non-peptidic molecules that disrupt the interaction between the p53 tumor suppressor and its negative regulator MDM2 has provided a promising alternative for the treatment of different types of cancer. Among these compounds, RITA (reactivation of p53 and induction of tumor cell apoptosis has been shown to be effective in the selective induction of apoptosis, and this effect is due to its binding to the p53 tumor suppressor. Since biological systems are highly dynamic and MDM2 may bind to different regions of p53, new alternatives should be explored. On this basis, the computational "blind docking" approach was employed in this study to see whether RITA would bind to MDM2. Results It was observed that RITA binds to the MDM2 p53 transactivation domain-binding cleft. Thus, RITA can be used as a lead compound for designing improved "multi-target" drugs. This novel strategy could provide enormous benefits to enable effective anti-cancer strategies. Conclusion This study has demonstrated that a single molecule can target at least two different proteins related to the same disease.

  4. The polymorphisms of P53 codon 72 and MDM2 SNP309 and renal cell carcinoma risk in a low arsenic exposure area

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Chao-Yuan [Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Department of Urology, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Su, Chien-Tien [Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Chu, Jan-Show [Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Huang, Shu-Pin [Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, College of Medicine Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Pu, Yeong-Shiau [Department of Urology, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Yang, Hsiu-Yuan [School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Chung, Chi-Jung [Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Department of Health Risk Management, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Wu, Chia-Chang [School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Department of Urology, Taipei Medical Universtiy-Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Hsueh, Yu-Mei, E-mail: ymhsueh@tmu.edu.tw [School of Public Health, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China)

    2011-12-15

    Our recent study demonstrated the increased risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) associated with high urinary total arsenic levels among people living in a low arsenic exposure area. Genomic instability is important in arsenic carcinogenesis. This study evaluated the relationship between the polymorphisms of p53, p21, and MDM2, which plays a role in gene stability, and the arsenic-related RCC risk. Here, we found that p53 Pro/Pro genotype and MDM2 SNP309 GG genotype significantly increased RCC risk compared to the p53 Arg/Arg genotype and MDM2 SNP309 TT genotype. RCC patients with the p53Arg/Arg genotype had a signicantly low percentage of inorganic arsenic, a low percentage of monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and a high percentage of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), which indicates efcient arsenic methylation capacity. Subjects with the p53 Arg/Pro + Pro/Pro genotype or MDM2 SNP309 TG + GG genotype, in conjunction with high urinary total arsenic ({>=} 14.02 {mu}g/L), had a signicantly higher RCC risk than those with the p53 Arg/Arg or MDM2 SNP309 TT genotypes and low urinary total arsenic. Taken together, this is the first study to show that a variant genotype of p53 Arg{sup 72}Pro or MDM2 SNP309 may modify the arsenic-related RCC risk even in a non-obvious arsenic exposure area. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Subjects with p53 Pro/Pro or MDM2 GG genotype significantly increased RCC risk. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A significant multiplicative joint effect of p53 and p21 on RCC risk. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer RCC patients with p53 Arg/Arg genotype had efficient arsenic methylation capacity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Joint effect of p53 or MDM2 genotype and high urinary total arsenic on RCC risk.

  5. Effect of etoposide-induced alteration of the Mdm2-Rb signaling pathway on cellular senescence in A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Wenjing; Jiang, Yi; Chen, Kairong; Qiu, Jing; Sun, Jian; Zhang, Wei; Zhou, Xiafei; Huang, Na; Li, Yunhui; Li, Wancheng

    2017-10-01

    The present study aimed to investigate the effect of various concentrations of etoposide (VP-16) on the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase Mdm2 (Mdm2)-retinoblastoma (Rb) signaling pathway in the cellular senescence of A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells. A549 cells were randomly divided into the following four groups: Control group (no treatment), group 1 (1 µmol/l VP-16), group 2 (5 µmol/l VP-16) and group 3 (25 µmol/l VP-16). Each group was cultured for 48 h after treatment prior to observation of the alterations to cellular morphology. The cell cycle distribution of each group was also detected by flow cytometry. In addition, the activity of cellular senescence-associated β-galactosidase, and the expression of Mdm2 and phosphorylated (p-) Rb protein, was measured. The percentage of senescent cells was significantly higher following VP-16 treatment compared with the control group. The percentage of G 1 phase cells, and p-Rb protein and Mdm2 protein expression were also significantly different following VP-16 treatment compared with the control group. VP-16 increased the activity of β-galactosidase in the A459 cells. VP-16 also decreased the expression level of Mdm2 and p-Rb protein and inhibited cell cycle progression in G 1 . These results indicate that VP-16 induces the cellular senescence of A549 cells via the Mdm2-Rb signaling pathway. However, further investigations are required to validate the mechanisms underlying these effects of VP-16.

  6. Fine needle aspiration biopsy diagnosis of dedifferentiated liposarcoma: Cytomorphology and MDM2 amplification by FISH

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    Al-Maghraby Hatem

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Lipomatous mesenchymal tumors constitute the most common type of soft tissue tumors. Well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLS can undergo dedifferentiation to a nonlipogenic sarcoma of variable histologic grade. In the recent literature, amplification of the murine double minute 2 (MDM2 oncogene, which has a role in cell cycle control, has been successful in distinguishing WDLS from benign lesions. We present a case of dedifferentiated liposarcoma diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration (FNA, using cytomorphology and ancillary studies (immunocytochemistry and fluorescent in-situ hybridization. An 85-year old female presented to our institution with a firm soft tissue mass of the right buttock. The FNA showed atypical spindle cells, osteoclast-like giant cells and extracellular dense matrix material. The cell block showed cellular groups of highly atypical spindle cells with osteoid and adipose tissue. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH studies performed on the cell block demonstrated amplification of the MDM2 gene. In addition, the findings were morphologically compatible with the previously resected retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma with areas of osteosarcoma. This rare case illustrates the usefulness of FNA and ancillary studies in the diagnosis and subclassification of soft tissue tumors. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of MDM2 FISH positivity in a liposarcoma diagnosed by FNA.

  7. Natural product ginsenoside 25-OCH3-PPD inhibits breast cancer growth and metastasis through down-regulating MDM2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wei; Zhang, Xu; Qin, Jiang-Jiang; Voruganti, Sukesh; Nag, Subhasree Ashok; Wang, Ming-Hai; Wang, Hui; Zhang, Ruiwen

    2012-01-01

    Although ginseng and related herbs have a long history of utility for various health benefits, their application in cancer therapy and underlying mechanisms of action are not fully understood. Our recent work has shown that 20(S)-25-methoxyl-dammarane-3β, 12β, 20-triol (25-OCH(3)-PPD), a newly identified ginsenoside from Panax notoginseng, exerts activities against a variety of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. This study was designed to investigate its anti-breast cancer activity and the underlying mechanisms of action. We observed that 25-OCH(3)-PPD decreased the survival of breast cancer cells by induction of apoptosis and G1 phase arrest and inhibited the growth of breast cancer xenografts in vivo. We further demonstrated that, in a dose- and time-dependent manner, 25-OCH(3)-PPD inhibited MDM2 expression at both transcriptional and post-translational levels in human breast cancer cells with various p53 statuses (wild type and mutant). Moreover, 25-OCH(3)-PPD inhibited in vitro cell migration, reduced the expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, and prevented in vivo metastasis of breast cancer. In summary, 25-OCH(3)-PPD is a potential therapeutic and anti-metastatic agent for human breast cancer through down-regulating MDM2. Further preclinical and clinical development of this agent is warranted.

  8. Computational Studies of Difference in Binding Modes of Peptide and Non-Peptide Inhibitors to MDM2/MDMX Based on Molecular Dynamics Simulations

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    Yuxin Zhang

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Inhibition of p53-MDM2/MDMX interaction is considered to be a promising strategy for anticancer drug design to activate wild-type p53 in tumors. We carry out molecular dynamics (MD simulations to study the binding mechanisms of peptide and non-peptide inhibitors to MDM2/MDMX. The rank of binding free energies calculated by molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA method agrees with one of the experimental values. The results suggest that van der Waals energy drives two kinds of inhibitors to MDM2/MDMX. We also find that the peptide inhibitors can produce more interaction contacts with MDM2/MDMX than the non-peptide inhibitors. Binding mode predictions based on the inhibitor-residue interactions show that the π–π, CH–π and CH–CH interactions dominated by shape complimentarity, govern the binding of the inhibitors in the hydrophobic cleft of MDM2/MDMX. Our studies confirm the residue Tyr99 in MDMX can generate a steric clash with the inhibitors due to energy and structure. This finding may theoretically provide help to develop potent dual-specific or MDMX inhibitors.

  9. Comparison of Chromogenic In Situ Hybridization and Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization for the Evaluation of MDM2 Amplification in Adipocytic Tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mardekian, Stacey K; Solomides, Charalambos C; Gong, Jerald Z; Peiper, Stephen C; Wang, Zi-Xuan; Bajaj, Renu

    2015-11-01

    Atypical lipomatous tumor/well-differentiated liposarcoma (ALT-WDLPS) and dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) are characterized cytogenetically by a 12q13-15 amplification involving the mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) oncogene. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is used frequently to detect this amplification and aid with the diagnosis of these entities, which is difficult by morphology alone. Recently, bright-field in situ hybridization techniques such as chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) have been introduced for the determination of MDM2 amplification status. The present study compared the results of FISH and CISH for detecting MDM2 amplification in 41 cases of adipocytic tumors. Amplification was defined in both techniques as a MDM2/CEN12 ratio of 2 or greater. Eleven cases showed amplification with both FISH and CISH, and 26 cases showed no amplification with both methods. Two cases had discordant results between CISH and FISH, and two cases were not interpretable by CISH. CISH is advantageous for allowing pathologists to evaluate the histologic and molecular alterations occurring simultaneously in a specimen. Moreover, CISH is found to be more cost- and time-efficient when used with automation, and the signals do not quench over time. CISH technique is a reliable alternative to FISH in the evaluation of adipocytic tumors for MDM2 amplification. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Mir-1307 regulates cisplatin resistance by targeting Mdm4 in breast cancer expressing wild type P53.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xinyan; Zhu, Jianwei

    2018-04-26

    Many chemotherapy regimens are used to treat breast cancer; however, breast cancer cells often develop drug resistance that usually leads to relapse and poor prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression and play crucial roles in diverse biological processes, such as development, differentiation, apoptosis, and proliferation. We investigated the roles of miRNAs in the development of drug resistance in human breast cancer cells. MiRNA expression was detected in human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 via real time PCR; 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide, cell viability, colony formation, and luciferase reporter gene assays; Western blot; and immunohistochemistry. MiR-1307 was downregulated while MDM4 was upregulated in MCF-7/cisplatin (CDDP) and MDA-MB-468/CDDP cells compared with parental MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 cells. in vitro drug sensitivity assay demonstrated that overexpression of miR-1307 sensitized MCF-7/CDDP cells to CDDP. Luciferase activity assay with a reporter containing sequences from the 3' untranslated region of Mdm4 in MCF-7/CDDP cells suggested that Mdm4 was the direct target gene of miR-1307. Ectopic miR-1307 expression reduced the MDM4 protein level and sensitized MCF-7/CDDP cells to CDDP-induced apoptosis. Our findings suggest, for the first time, that miR-1307 could play a role in the development of CDDP resistance in breast cancer, at least in part by modulating apoptosis by targeting Mdm4. © 2018 The Authors. Thoracic Cancer published by China Lung Oncology Group and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  11. MDM2 promoter del1518 polymorphism and cancer risk: evidence from 22,931 subjects

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    Hua WF

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Wenfeng Hua,1,* Anqi Zhang,2,* Ping Duan,2,* Jinhong Zhu,3 Yuan Zhao,2 Jing He,4 Zhi Zhang1 1Department of Laboratory Medicine and Central Laboratories, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children’s Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 3Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory and Department of Laboratory Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 4Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Studies have shown that single-nucleotide polymorphisms in MDM2 gene may play important roles in the development of malignant tumor. The association of del1518 polymorphism (rs3730485 in the MDM2 promoter with cancer susceptibility has been extensively studied; however, the results are contradictory. To quantify the association between this polymorphism and overall cancer risk, we conducted a meta-analysis with 12,905 cases and 10,026 controls from 16 eligible studies retrieved from PubMed, Embase, and Chinese Biomedical (CBM databases. We assessed the strength of the connection using odds ratios (ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs. In summary, no significant associations were discovered between the del1518 polymorphism and overall cancer risk (Del/Del vs Ins/Ins: OR =1.01, 95% CI =0.90–1.14; Ins/Del vs Ins/Ins: OR =1.03, 95% CI =0.96–1.12; recessive model: OR =0.98, 95% CI =0.90–1.07; dominant model: OR =1.03, 95% CI =0.94–1.12; and Del vs Ins: OR =1.01, 95% CI =0.94–1.07. In the stratified analysis by source of control, quality score, cancer type, and ethnicity, no significant associations were found. Despite some limitations, the current meta-analysis provides solid

  12. Stress-specific response of the p53-Mdm2 feedback loop

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    Jensen Mogens H

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The p53 signalling pathway has hundreds of inputs and outputs. It can trigger cellular senescence, cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in response to diverse stress conditions, including DNA damage, hypoxia and nutrient deprivation. Signals from all these inputs are channeled through a single node, the transcription factor p53. Yet, the pathway is flexible enough to produce different downstream gene expression patterns in response to different stresses. Results We construct a mathematical model of the negative feedback loop involving p53 and its inhibitor, Mdm2, at the core of this pathway, and use it to examine the effect of different stresses that trigger p53. In response to DNA damage, hypoxia, etc., the model exhibits a wide variety of specific output behaviour - steady states with low or high levels of p53 and Mdm2, as well as spiky oscillations with low or high average p53 levels. Conclusions We show that even a simple negative feedback loop is capable of exhibiting the kind of flexible stress-specific response observed in the p53 system. Further, our model provides a framework for predicting the differences in p53 response to different stresses and single nucleotide polymorphisms.

  13. A proteomic screen reveals the mitochondrial outer membrane protein Mdm34p as an essential target of the F-box protein Mdm30p.

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    Ota, Kazuhisa; Kito, Keiji; Okada, Satoshi; Ito, Takashi

    2008-10-01

    Ubiquitination plays various critical roles in eukaryotic cellular regulation and is mediated by a cascade of enzymes including ubiquitin protein ligase (E3). The Skp1-Cullin-F-box protein complex comprises the largest E3 family, in each member of which a unique F-box protein binds its targets to define substrate specificity. Although genome sequencing uncovers a growing number of F-box proteins, most of them have remained as "orphans" because of the difficulties in identification of their substrates. To address this issue, we tested a quantitative proteomic approach by combining the stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC), parallel affinity purification (PAP) that we had developed for efficient enrichment of ubiquitinated proteins, and mass spectrometry (MS). We applied this SILAC-PAP-MS approach to compare ubiquitinated proteins between yeast cells with and without over-expressed Mdm30p, an F-box protein implicated in mitochondrial morphology. Consequently, we identified the mitochondrial outer membrane protein Mdm34p as a target of Mdm30p. Furthermore, we found that mitochondrial defects induced by deletion of MDM30 are not only recapitulated by a mutant Mdm34p defective in interaction with Mdm30p but alleviated by ubiquitination-mimicking forms of Mdm34p. These results indicate that Mdm34p is a physiologically important target of Mdm30p.

  14. Induction of the 5S RNP-Mdm2-p53 ribosomal stress pathway delays the initiation but fails to eradicate established murine acute myeloid leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaako, P; Ugale, A; Wahlestedt, M; Velasco-Hernandez, T; Cammenga, J; Lindström, M S; Bryder, D

    2017-01-01

    Mutations resulting in constitutive activation of signaling pathways that regulate ribosome biogenesis are among the most common genetic events in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, whether ribosome biogenesis presents as a therapeutic target to treat AML remains unexplored. Perturbations in ribosome biogenesis trigger the 5S ribonucleoprotein particle (RNP)-Mdm2-p53 ribosomal stress pathway, and induction of this pathway has been shown to have therapeutic efficacy in Myc-driven lymphoma. In the current study we address the physiological and therapeutic role of the 5S RNP-Mdm2-p53 pathway in AML. By utilizing mice that have defective ribosome biogenesis due to downregulation of ribosomal protein S19 (Rps19), we demonstrate that induction of the 5S RNP-Mdm2-p53 pathway significantly delays the initiation of AML. However, even a severe Rps19 deficiency that normally results in acute bone marrow failure has no consistent efficacy on already established disease. Finally, by using mice that harbor a mutation in the Mdm2 gene disrupting its binding to 5S RNP, we show that loss of the 5S RNP-Mdm2-p53 pathway is dispensable for development of AML. Our study suggests that induction of the 5S RNP-Mdm2-p53 ribosomal stress pathway holds limited potential as a single-agent therapy in the treatment of AML.

  15. Double-edged swords as cancer therapeutics: novel, orally active, small molecules simultaneously inhibit p53-MDM2 interaction and the NF-κB pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuang, Chunlin; Miao, Zhenyuan; Wu, Yuelin; Guo, Zizhao; Li, Jin; Yao, Jianzhong; Xing, Chengguo; Sheng, Chunquan; Zhang, Wannian

    2014-02-13

    Simultaneous inactivation of p53 and hyperactivation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is a common occurrence in human cancer. Currently, antitumor agents are being designed to selectively activate p53 or inhibit NF-κB. However, there is no concerted effort yet to deliberately design inhibitors that can simultaneously do both. This paper provided a proof-of-concept study that p53-MDM2 interaction and NF-κB pathway can be simultaneously targeted by a small-molecule inhibitor. A series of pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrazole derivatives were rationally designed and synthesized as the first-in-class inhibitors of p53-MDM2 interaction and NF-κB pathway. Most of the compounds were identified to possess nanomolar p53-MDM2 inhibitory activity. Compounds 5q and 5s suppressed NF-κB activation through inhibition of IκBα phosphorylation and elevation of the cytoplasmic levels of p65 and phosphorylated IKKα/β. Biochemical assay for the kinases also supported the fact that pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrazole compounds directly targeted the NF-κB pathway. In addition, four compounds (5j, 5q, 5s, and 5u) effectively inhibited tumor growth in the A549 xenograft model. Further pharmacokinetic study revealed that compound 5q exhibited excellent oral bioavailability (72.9%).

  16. Instant XenMobile MDM

    CERN Document Server

    Lakhani, Aamir

    2013-01-01

    Get to grips with a new technology, understand what it is and what it can do for you, and then get to work with the most important features and tasks. Written in a user friendly style, this guide will get readers up and running with XenMobile MDM.If you want to run your mobile enterprises on XenMobile, or work on a BYOD strategy within your organization, then this is the ideal book for you. XenMobile MDM comprehensively explores how to set up and use XenMobile to provision, secure, and manage mobile devices.

  17. Suppression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) by YC-1 is dependent on murine double minute 2 (Mdm2)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lau, C.K.; Yang, Z.F.; Lam, C.T.; Tam, K.H.; Poon, R.T.P.; Fan, S.T.

    2006-01-01

    Inhibition of HIF-1α activity provides an important strategy for the treatment of cancer. Recently, 3-(5'-hydroxymethyl-2'-furyl)-1-benzyl indazole (YC-1) has been identified as an anti-HIF-1α drug in cancer therapy with unclear molecular mechanism. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of YC-1 on HIF-1α in a hepatocellular carcinoma cell line under hypoxic condition, which was generated by incubating cells with 0.1% O 2 . The phenotypic and molecular changes of cells were determined by cell proliferation assay, apoptosis assay, luciferase promoter assay, and Western blot analysis. YC-1 arrested tumor cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, whereas it did not induce cell apoptosis. Hypoxia-induced upregulation of HIF-1α was suppressed by YC-1 administration. YC-1 inhibited HIF-1α protein synthesis under normoxia and affected protein stability under hypoxia. YC-1 suppressed the expression of total and phosphorylated forms of murine double minute 2 (Mdm2), whereas this inhibitory effect was blocked by overexpression of Mdm2. In conclusion, YC-1 suppressed both protein synthesis and stability of HIF-1α in HCC cells, and its inhibitory effects on HIF-1α were dependent on Mdm2

  18. Actinomycin D synergistically enhances the cytotoxicity of CDDP on KB cells by activating P53 via decreasing P53-MDM2 complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lin; Pang, Xiao-Cong; Yu, Zi-Ru; Yang, Sheng-Qian; Liu, Ai-Lin; Wang, Jin-Hua; Du, Guan-Hua

    2017-06-01

    The aim of this study is to investigate the synergism of low dose of actinomycin D (LDActD) to the cytotoxicity of cisplatin (CDDP) on KB cells. The role of P53 reactivation by LDActD in the synergism and its mechanism were further studied. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. Apoptosis was determined by AnnexinV-FITC/PI staining. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was detected by JC-1 staining. Expression of proteins was detected by Western blotting (WB) and/or immunofluorescence (IF). Molecular docking of actinomycin D (ACTD) to Mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) and Mouse double minute 2 homolog X (MDMX). MDMX was analyzed by Discovery Studio. The content of P53-MDM2 complex was detected by ELISA assay. The cytotoxicity of CDDP was increased by the combination of LDActD in kinds of cancer cells. Molecular docking showed strong interaction between ACTD and MDM2/MDMX. Meanwhile, LDActD significantly decreased P53-MDM2 complex. Significant increase of the apoptotic activity by the combination therapy in KB cells is P53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) dependent. In addition to the decrease in MMP, LDActD increased P53 regulated protein and decreased BCL-XL in KB cells. LDActD efficiently enhanced the cytotoxicity of CDDP in cancer cells and induced P53-PUMA-dependent and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in KB cells. The reactivation of P53 was probably achieved by disturbing the interaction of P53 and MDM2/MDMX.

  19. Non-linear feedback control of the p53 protein-mdm2 inhibitor system using the derivative-free non-linear Kalman filter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rigatos, Gerasimos G

    2016-06-01

    It is proven that the model of the p53-mdm2 protein synthesis loop is a differentially flat one and using a diffeomorphism (change of state variables) that is proposed by differential flatness theory it is shown that the protein synthesis model can be transformed into the canonical (Brunovsky) form. This enables the design of a feedback control law that maintains the concentration of the p53 protein at the desirable levels. To estimate the non-measurable elements of the state vector describing the p53-mdm2 system dynamics, the derivative-free non-linear Kalman filter is used. Moreover, to compensate for modelling uncertainties and external disturbances that affect the p53-mdm2 system, the derivative-free non-linear Kalman filter is re-designed as a disturbance observer. The derivative-free non-linear Kalman filter consists of the Kalman filter recursion applied on the linearised equivalent of the protein synthesis model together with an inverse transformation based on differential flatness theory that enables to retrieve estimates for the state variables of the initial non-linear model. The proposed non-linear feedback control and perturbations compensation method for the p53-mdm2 system can result in more efficient chemotherapy schemes where the infusion of medication will be better administered.

  20. Butein activates p53 in hepatocellular carcinoma cells via blocking MDM2-mediated ubiquitination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhou Y

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Yuanfeng Zhou,1,2 Kuifeng Wang,2 Ni Zhou,2 Tingting Huang,2 Jiansheng Zhu,2 Jicheng Li1 1Institute of Cell Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Infectious Diseases, Affiliated Taizhou Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, People’s Republic of China Introduction: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of butein on p53 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC cells and the related molecular mechanisms by which p53 was activated. Methods: MTS assay and clonogenic survival assay were used to examine the antitumor activity of butein in vitro. Reporter gene assay was adopted to evaluate p53 transcriptional activity. Flow cytometry and western blotting were performed to study apoptosis induction and protein expression respectively. Xenograft model was applied to determine the in vivo efficacy and the expression of p53 in tumor tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. Results: HCC cell proliferation and clonogenic survival were significantly inhibited after butein treatment. With the activation of cleaved-PARP and capsase-3, butein induced apoptosis in HCC cells in a dose-dependent manner. The transcriptional activity of p53 was substantially promoted by butein, and the expression of p53-targeted gene was increased accordingly. Mechanism studies demonstrated that the interaction between MDM2 and p53 was blocked by butein and MDM2-mediated p53 ubiquitination was substantially decreased. Short-hairpin RNA experiment results showed that the sensitivity of HCC cells to butein was substantially impaired after p53 was knocked down and butein-induced apoptosis was dramatically decreased. In vivo experiments validated substantial antitumor efficacy of butein against HepG2 xenograft growth, and the expression of p53 in butein-treated tumor tissue was significantly increased. Conclusion: Butein demonstrated potent antitumor activities in HCC by activating p53, and butein or its analogs had

  1. MDM2 phenotypic and genotypic profiling, respective to TP53 genetic status, in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients treated with rituximab-CHOP immunochemotherapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu-Monette, Zijun Y; Møller, Michael B; Tzankov, Alexander

    2013-01-01

    MDM2 is a key negative regulator of the tumor suppressor p53, however, the prognostic significance of MDM2 overexpression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has not been defined convincingly. In a p53 genetically-defined large cohort of de novo DLBCL patients treated with rituximab, cycloph...

  2. Mutation analysis of the MDM4 gene in German breast cancer patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reincke, Scarlett; Govbakh, Lina; Wilhelm, Bettina; Jin, Haiyan; Bogdanova, Natalia; Bremer, Michael; Karstens, Johann H; Dörk, Thilo

    2008-01-01

    MDM4 is a negative regulator of p53 and cooperates with MDM2 in the cellular response to DNA damage. It is unknown, however, whether MDM4 gene alterations play some role in the inherited component of breast cancer susceptibility. We sequenced the whole MDM4 coding region and flanking untranslated regions in genomic DNA samples obtained from 40 German patients with familial breast cancer. Selected variants were subsequently screened by RFLP-based assays in an extended set of breast cancer cases and controls. Our resequencing study uncovered two MDM4 coding variants in 4/40 patients. Three patients carried a silent substitution at codon 74 that was linked with another rare variant in the 5'UTR. No association of this allele with breast cancer was found in a subsequent screening of 133 patients with bilateral breast cancer and 136 controls. The fourth patient was heterozygous for the missense substitution D153G which is located in a less conserved region of the MDM4 protein but may affect a predicted phosphorylation site. The D153G substitution only partially segregated with breast cancer in the family and was not identified on additional 680 chromosomes screened. This study did not reveal clearly pathogenic mutations although it uncovered two new unclassified variants at a low frequency. We conclude that there is no evidence for a major role of MDM4 coding variants in the inherited susceptibility towards breast cancer in German patients

  3. MDM4 SNP34091 (rs4245739) and its effect on breast-, colon-, lung- and prostate cancer risk.

    OpenAIRE

    Gansmo, Liv Beathe; Romundstad, Pål Richard; Birkeland, Einar Elvbakken; Hveem, Kristian; Vatten, Lars Johan; Knappskog, Stian; Lønning, Per Eystein

    2015-01-01

    The MDM4 protein plays an important part in the negative regulation of the tumor suppressor p53 through its interaction with MDM2. In line with this, MDM4 amplification has been observed in several tumor forms. A polymorphism (rs4245739 A>C; SNP34091) in the MDM4 3′ untranslated region has been reported to create a target site for hsa-miR- 191, resulting in decreased MDM4 mRNA levels. In this population-based case–control study, we examined the potential association...

  4. Effect of MDM2 SNP309 and p53 codon 72 polymorphisms on lung cancer risk and survival among non-smoking Chinese women in Singapore

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sabapathy Kanaga

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP 309 resulting in a T or G allele in the promoter of MDM2, the negative regulator of p53, has been suggested to affect cancer predisposition and age of onset, primarily in females. However, findings have been inconsistent in various cancers, and ethnicity appears to be a critical factor influencing the effects of the SNP on cancer risk. An increasing trend has been observed in the prevalence of lung cancers in non-smokers, especially females, though the underlying genetic basis is unclear. Methods We therefore examined the role of the SNPs in the p53 pathway (p53 codon 72 and MDM2 SNP309 on lung cancer risk and prognosis of a life-time non-smoking female Chinese population, in a hospital-based case-control study of 123 cases and 159 age-matched controls, by PCR analysis. Results Our findings reveal that the risk of lung cancer among individuals with the MDM2 SNP309 TT genotype was 2.1 (95% CI 1.01-4.36 relative to the GG genotype, contrary to initial expectations that the GG genotype with elevated MDM2 levels will increase cancer risk. Those who had this genotype in combination with the p53 Pro allele had a risk of 2.5 (95% CI 1.2-5.0. There was however no effect of either polymorphism on age at diagnosis of lung cancer or on overall survival. Conclusions The results thus demonstrate that the MDM2 SNP309 TT rather than the GG genotype is associated with increased risk of lung cancer in this population, suggesting that other mechanisms independent of increased MDM2 levels can influence cancer susceptibility.

  5. Rare aggressive behavior of MDM2-amplified retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma, with brain, lung and subcutaneous metastases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imen Ben Salha

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDL is a histologically pleomorphic sarcoma, traditionally defined as well-differentiated liposarcoma with abrupt transition to high grade, nonlipogenic sarcoma. It can occur as part of recurrent well-differentiated liposarcoma, or may arise de novo. DDL most frequently occurs within the retroperitoneum, and while it is prone to local recurrence, it usually has a lower rate of metastasis than other pleomorphic sarcomas. We describe a case of retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma in a 63-year-old male, who showed MDM2 amplification with fluorescence in situ hybridization, which displayed unusually aggressive behavior, with brain, lung and subcutaneous soft tissue metastases. As previous reports of metastatic liposarcoma have largely grouped DDL in with other (genetically and clinically distinct liposarcoma subtypes, we highlight and discuss the rare occurrence of brain metastasis in MDM2-amplified retroperitoneal liposarcoma.

  6. Markers aiding the diagnosis of chondroid tumors: an immunohistochemical study including osteonectin, bcl-2, cox-2, actin, calponin, D2-40 (podoplanin), mdm-2, CD117 (c-kit), and YKL-40

    Science.gov (United States)

    DAUGAARD, SØREN; CHRISTENSEN, LISE H; HØGDALL, ESTRID

    2009-01-01

    Chondroid tumors comprise a heterogenous group of benign to overt malignant neoplasms, which may be difficult to differentiate from one another by histological examination. A group of 43 such tumors was stained with nine relevant antibodies in an attempt to find consistent marker profile(s) for the different subgroups. Archival material from three extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas, five chordomas, five chondromyxoid fibromas, five chondroblastomas and 25 chondrosarcomas was stained with antibodies against osteonectin, bcl-2, cox-2, actin, calponin, D2-40 (podoplanin), mdm-2, CD117 (c-kit) and YKL-40. All 25 chondrosarcomas showed a positive staining reaction for D2-40, none for actin and CD117, and a partial reactivity for bcl-2 (36%). Chondroblastomas (5/5) and chondromyxoid fibromas (2/5) were the only tumors with a positive reaction for actin, and all chondroblastomas (n=5) and extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas (n=3) were positive for bcl-2. In contrast to all other tumors, two of three extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas were also positive for CD17 and negative for osteonectin, cox-2, mdm-2 and actin. All five chordomas were negative for D2-40 and positive for mdm-2 and YKL-40. The diagnosis of chondrosarcoma may be aided by its positivity for D2-40 and YKL-40 and its lack of reactivity for actin and CD117. This should be seen in the light of no reaction for D2-40 in chordomas and a corresponding lack of reaction for osteonectin, cox-2, mdm-2 and actin in extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas. A convincing immunoreactivity for calponin and/or actin in chondromyxoid fibromas and chondroblastomas may also be helpful in differentiating these tumors from chondrosarcomas. PMID:19594492

  7. The pharmacodynamics of the p53-Mdm2 targeting drug Nutlin: the role of gene-switching noise.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krzysztof Puszynski

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available In this work we investigate, by means of a computational stochastic model, how tumor cells with wild-type p53 gene respond to the drug Nutlin, an agent that interferes with the Mdm2-mediated p53 regulation. In particular, we show how the stochastic gene-switching controlled by p53 can explain experimental dose-response curves, i.e., the observed inter-cell variability of the cell viability under Nutlin action. The proposed model describes in some detail the regulation network of p53, including the negative feedback loop mediated by Mdm2 and the positive loop mediated by PTEN, as well as the reversible inhibition of Mdm2 caused by Nutlin binding. The fate of the individual cell is assumed to be decided by the rising of nuclear-phosphorylated p53 over a certain threshold. We also performed in silico experiments to evaluate the dose-response curve after a single drug dose delivered in mice, or after its fractionated administration. Our results suggest that dose-splitting may be ineffective at low doses and effective at high doses. This complex behavior can be due to the interplay among the existence of a threshold on the p53 level for its cell activity, the nonlinearity of the relationship between the bolus dose and the peak of active p53, and the relatively fast elimination of the drug.

  8. Hydrophobic Interactions Are a Key to MDM2 Inhibition by Polyphenols as Revealed by Molecular Dynamics Simulations and MM/PBSA Free Energy Calculations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharad Verma

    Full Text Available p53, a tumor suppressor protein, has been proven to regulate the cell cycle, apoptosis, and DNA repair to prevent malignant transformation. MDM2 regulates activity of p53 and inhibits its binding to DNA. In the present study, we elucidated the MDM2 inhibition potential of polyphenols (Apigenin, Fisetin, Galangin and Luteolin by MD simulation and MM/PBSA free energy calculations. All polyphenols bind to hydrophobic groove of MDM2 and the binding was found to be stable throughout MD simulation. Luteolin showed the highest negative binding free energy value of -173.80 kJ/mol followed by Fisetin with value of -172.25 kJ/mol. It was found by free energy calculations, that hydrophobic interactions (vdW energy have major contribution in binding free energy.

  9. Detection of MDM2/CDK4 amplification in lipomatous soft tissue tumors from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue: comparison of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Creytens, David; van Gorp, Joost; Ferdinande, Liesbeth; Speel, Ernst-Jan; Libbrecht, Louis

    2015-02-01

    In this study, the detection of MDM2 and CDK4 amplification was evaluated in lipomatous soft tissue tumors using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), a PCR-based technique, in comparison with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). These 2 techniques were evaluated in a series of 77 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lipomatous tumors (27 benign adipose tumors, 28 atypical lipomatous tumors/well-differentiated liposarcomas, 18 dedifferentiated liposarcomas, and 4 pleomorphic liposarcomas). Using MLPA, with a cut-off ratio of >2, 36/71 samples (22 atypical lipomatous tumors/well-differentiated liposarcomas, and 14 dedifferentiated liposarcomas) showed MDM2 and CDK4 amplification. Using FISH as gold standard, MLPA showed a sensitivity of 90% (36/40) and a specificity of 100% (31/31) in detecting amplification of MDM2 and CDK4 in lipomatous soft tissue tumors. In case of high-level amplification (MDM2-CDK4/CEP12 ratio >5), concordance was 100%. Four cases of atypical lipomatous tumor/well-differentiated liposarcoma (4/26, 15%) with a low MDM2 and CDK4 amplification level (MDM2-CDK4/CEP12 ratio ranging between 2 and 2.5) detected by FISH showed no amplification by MLPA, although gain of MDM2 and CDK4 (ratios ranging between 1.6 and 1.9) was seen with MLPA. No amplification was detected in benign lipomatous tumors and pleomorphic liposarcomas. Furthermore, there was a very high concordance between the ratios obtained by FISH and MLPA. In conclusion, MLPA proves to be an appropriate and straightforward technique for screening MDM2/CDK4 amplification in lipomatous tumors, especially when a correct cut-off value and reference samples are chosen, and could be considered a good alternative to FISH to determine MDM2 and CDK4 amplification in liposarcomas. Moreover, because MLPA, as a multiplex technique, allows simultaneous detection of multiple chromosomal changes of interest, it could be in the future a very reliable and fast molecular analysis on

  10. Effective screening strategy using ensembled pharmacophore models combined with cascade docking: application to p53-MDM2 interaction inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Xin; Wei, Jin-Lian; Xu, Li-Li; Xi, Mei-Yang; Xu, Xiao-Li; Liu, Fang; Guo, Xiao-Ke; Wang, Lei; Zhang, Xiao-Jin; Zhang, Ming-Ye; Lu, Meng-Chen; Sun, Hao-Peng; You, Qi-Dong

    2013-10-28

    Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play a crucial role in cellular function and form the backbone of almost all biochemical processes. In recent years, protein-protein interaction inhibitors (PPIIs) have represented a treasure trove of potential new drug targets. Unfortunately, there are few successful drugs of PPIIs on the market. Structure-based pharmacophore (SBP) combined with docking has been demonstrated as a useful Virtual Screening (VS) strategy in drug development projects. However, the combination of target complexity and poor binding affinity prediction has thwarted the application of this strategy in the discovery of PPIIs. Here we report an effective VS strategy on p53-MDM2 PPI. First, we built a SBP model based on p53-MDM2 complex cocrystal structures. The model was then simplified by using a Receptor-Ligand complex-based pharmacophore model considering the critical binding features between MDM2 and its small molecular inhibitors. Cascade docking was subsequently applied to improve the hit rate. Based on this strategy, we performed VS on NCI and SPECS databases and successfully discovered 6 novel compounds from 15 hits with the best, compound 1 (NSC 5359), K(i) = 180 ± 50 nM. These compounds can serve as lead compounds for further optimization.

  11. Polymorphisms in promoter sequences of MDM2, p53, and p16INK4a genes in normal Japanese individuals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasuhito Ohsaka

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Research has been conducted to identify sequence polymorphisms of gene promoter regions in patients and control subjects, including normal individuals, and to determine the influence of these polymorphisms on transcriptional regulation in cells that express wild-type or mutant p53. In this study we isolated genomic DNA from whole blood of healthy Japanese individuals and sequenced the promoter regions of the MDM2, p53, and p16INK4a genes. We identified polymorphisms comprising 3 nucleotide substitutions at exon 1 and intron 1 regions of the MDM2 gene and 1 nucleotide insertion at a poly(C nucleotide position in the p53 gene. The Japanese individuals also exhibited p16INK4a polymorphisms at several positions, including position -191. Reporter gene analysis by using luciferase revealed that the polymorphisms of MDM2, p53, and p16INK4a differentially altered luciferase activities in several cell lines, including the Colo320DM, U251, and T98G cell lines expressing mutant p53. Our results indicate that the promoter sequences of these genes differ among normal Japanese individuals and that polymorphisms can alter gene transcription activity.

  12. The T309G MDM2 gene polymorphism is a novel risk factor for proliferative vitreoretinopathy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    S. Pastor-Idoate (Salvador); I. Rodriguez-Hernández (Irene); J. Rojas (Jimena); I. Fernandez (Itziar); M.T. García-Gutierrez (María Teresa); J.M. Ruiz-Moreno (Jose María); A. Rocha-Sousa (Amandio); Y. Ramkissoon (Yashin); S. Harsum (Steven); R.E. MacLaren (Robert ); D. Charteris (David); J.C. Vanmeurs (Jan C.); R. González-Sarmiento (Rogelio); J.C. Pastor (Jose Carlos)

    2013-01-01

    textabstractProliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is still the major cause of failure in retinal detachment (RD) surgery. It is believed that down-regulation in the p53 pathway could be an important key in PVR pathogenesis. The purpose was to evaluate the impact of T309G MDM2 polymorphism

  13. Frequent alteration of MDM2 and p53 in the molecular progression of recurring non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Michael Boe; Nielsen, O; Pedersen, Niels Tinggaard

    2002-01-01

    -Hodgkin's lymphoma. METHODS AND RESULTS: We have analysed sequential biopsies from 42 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients immunohistochemically for p53 alterations (based on p53 and p21Waf1 expression), as well as for expression of MDM2, p27Kip1 and cyclin D3. Relapse of follicle centre lymphoma was associated with p53...... alterations as 5/6 (83%) follicle centre lymphomas with normal p53 at diagnosis showed p53 alterations at relapse. Of these cases, three showed transformation to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. p53 alteration was also associated with relapse of de novo diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and T-cell non......-Hodgkin's lymphoma, as 2/5 (40%) diffuse large B-cell lymphomas and 3/9 (33%) T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas with normal p53 at diagnosis showed p53 alterations at relapse. No indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma case showed MDM2 over-expression at diagnosis, whereas 4/5 (80%) transformed diffuse large B-cell lymphomas...

  14. The importance of ribosome production, and the 5S RNP-MDM2 pathway, in health and disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pelava, Andria; Schneider, Claudia; Watkins, Nicholas J

    2016-08-15

    Ribosomes are abundant, large RNA-protein complexes that are the source of all protein synthesis in the cell. The production of ribosomes is an extremely energetically expensive cellular process that has long been linked to human health and disease. More recently, it has been shown that ribosome biogenesis is intimately linked to multiple cellular signalling pathways and that defects in ribosome production can lead to a wide variety of human diseases. Furthermore, changes in ribosome production in response to nutrient levels in the diet lead to metabolic re-programming of the liver. Reduced or abnormal ribosome production in response to cellular stress or mutations in genes encoding factors critical for ribosome biogenesis causes the activation of the tumour suppressor p53, which leads to re-programming of cellular transcription. The ribosomal assembly intermediate 5S RNP (ribonucleoprotein particle), containing RPL5, RPL11 and the 5S rRNA, accumulates when ribosome biogenesis is blocked. The excess 5S RNP binds to murine double minute 2 (MDM2), the main p53-suppressor in the cell, inhibiting its function and leading to p53 activation. Here, we discuss the involvement of ribosome biogenesis in the homoeostasis of p53 in the cell and in human health and disease. © 2016 The Author(s).

  15. MDM2 SNP309 promoter polymorphism and p53 mutations in urinary bladder carcinoma stage T1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olsson Hans

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Urinary bladder carcinoma stage T1 is an unpredictable disease that in some cases has a good prognosis with only local or no recurrence, but in others can appear as a more aggressive tumor with progression to more advanced stages. The aim here was to investigate stage T1 tumors regarding MDM2 promoter SNP309 polymorphism, mutations in the p53 gene, and expression of p53 and p16 measured by immunohistochemistry, and subsequently relate these changes to tumor recurrence and progression. We examined a cohort of patients with primary stage T1 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder and their tumors. Methods After re-evaluation of the original slides and exclusions, the study population comprised 141 patients, all with primary stage T1 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. The hospital records were screened for clinical parameters and information concerning presence of histologically proven recurrence and progression. The paraffin-embedded tumor material was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Any mutations found in the p53 gene were studied by single-strand conformation analysis and Sanger sequencing. The MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism was investigated by pyrosequencing. Multivariate analyses concerning association with prognosis were performed, and Kaplan-Meier analysis was conducted for a combination of changes and time to progression. Results Of the 141 patients, 82 had at least one MDM2 SNP309 G allele, and 53 had a mutation in the p53 gene, but neither of those anomalies was associated with a worse prognosis. A mutation in the p53 gene was associated with immunohistochemically visualized p53 protein expression at a cut-off value of 50%. In the group with p53 mutation Kaplan-Meier analysis showed higher rate of progression and shorter time to progression in patients with immunohistochemically abnormal p16 expression compared to them with normal p16 expression (p = 0.038. Conclusions MDM2 SNP309 promoter polymorphism and mutations in

  16. Molecular mechanisms of MYCN-dependent apoptosis and the MDM2-p53 pathway: an Achille’s heel to be exploited for the therapy of MYCN amplified neuroblastoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marialaura ePetroni

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available The p53 oncosuppressor is very seldom mutated in neuroblastoma, but several mechanisms cooperate to its functional inactivation in this tumor. Increased MDM2 levels, due to genetic amplification or constitutive inhibition of p14ARF, significantly contribute to this event highlighting p53 reactivation as an attractive perspective for neuroblastoma treatment.In addition to its role in tumorigenesis, MYCN sensitizes untransformed and cancer cells to apoptosis. This is associated to a fine modulation of the MDM2-p53 pathway. Indeed MYCN induces p53 and MDM2 transcription, and, by evoking a DNA damage response (DDR, it stabilizes p53 and its proapoptotic kinase HIPK2. Through the regulation of the HIPK2-p53 inhibitor HMGA1 and the homeobox proteins BMI-1 and TWIST-1, MYCN establishes a delicate balance between pro- and anti-apoptotic molecules that might be easily perturbed by a variety of insults, leading to cell death. MDM2-p53 antagonists, such as Nutlin-3, are strikingly prone to inducing death in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, by further pushing on HIPK2 accumulation. Here we discuss implications and caveats of exploiting this pathway and its connections to MYCN-induced DDR for a tailored therapy of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma.

  17. Opposite regulation of MDM2 and MDMX expression in acquisition of mesenchymal phenotype in benign and cancer cells

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Slabáková, Eva; Kharaishvili, G.; Smějová, M.; Pernicová, Zuzana; Suchánková, Tereza; Remšík, Jan; Lerch, Stanislav; Straková, Nicol; Bouchal, J.; Král, M.; Culig, Z.; Kozubík, Alois; Souček, Karel

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 6, č. 34 (2015), s. 36156-36171 ISSN 1949-2553 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) EE2.3.30.0030; GA ČR(CZ) GPP301/12/P407 Institutional support: RVO:68081707 Keywords : epithelial-mesenchymal transition * MDM2/MDMX * SNAI2/SLUG Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 5.008, year: 2015

  18. Luteolin Prevents H2O2-Induced Apoptosis in H9C2 Cells through Modulating Akt-P53/Mdm2 Signaling Pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hong Chang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Luteolin, a falconoid compound in many Chinese herbs and formula, plays important roles in cardiovascular diseases. The underlying mechanism of luteolin remains to be further elaborated. Methods. A model of hydrogen peroxide- (H2O2- induced H9C2 cells apoptosis was established. Cell viabilities were examined with an MTT assay. 2′,7′-Dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA and flow cytometry were used to detect ROS level and apoptosis rate, respectively. The expressions of signaling proteins related to apoptosis were analyzed by western blot and mRNA levels were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR. Quercetin was applied as positive drug. Results. Incubation with various concentrations of H2O2 (0, 50, 100, and 200 μM for 1 h caused dose-dependent loss of cell viability and 100 μM H2O2 reduced the cell viability to approximately 50%. Treatments with luteolin and quercetin protected cells from H2O2-induced cytotoxicity and reduced cellular ROS level and apoptosis rate. Moreover, luteolin could downregulate the expressions of Bax, caspase-8, cleaved-caspase-3, and p53 in apoptotic signaling pathway. Further study showed that the expressions of Akt, Bcl-2, and Mdm2 were upregulated by luteolin. Conclusion. Luteolin protects H9C2 cells from H2O2-induced apoptosis. The protective and antiapoptotic effects of luteolin could be mediated by regulating the Akt-P53/Mdm2 apoptotic pathway.

  19. Expression signature based on TP53 target genes doesn't predict response to TP53-MDM2 inhibitor in wild type TP53 tumors

    OpenAIRE

    Sonkin, Dmitriy

    2015-01-01

    eLife digest Damaged cells in the human body can develop into tumors if left unchecked. TP53 (also called p53) is a protein that normally helps to repair or eliminate these damaged cells and prevent tumors from forming. About half of all cancerous tumors have mutations that prevent TP53 from working. In tumors with normal TP53 (called TP53 wild type tumors), another protein that acts to keep TP53 in check is often overly active. This overactive protein (called MDM2) prevents TP53 from suppres...

  20. The MDM-2 Antagonist Nutlin-3 Promotes the Maturation of Acute Myeloid Leukemic Blasts

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    Paola Secchiero

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available The small-molecule inhibitor of murine double minute (MDM-2, Nutlin-3, induced variable apoptosis in primary acute myeloid leukemia (AML blasts, promoted myeloid maturation of surviving cells, as demonstrated by analysis of CD11 b, CD14 surface antigens, by morphologic examination. Although the best-characterized activity of Nutlin-3 is activation of the p53 pathway, Nutlin-3 induced maturation also in one AML sample characterized by p53 deletion, as well as in the p53-/- human myeloblastic HL-60 cell line. At the molecular level, the maturational activity of Nutlin-3 in HL-60 cells was accompanied by the induction of E2F1 transcription factor, it was significantly counteracted by specific gene knockdown with small interfering RNA for E2F1. Moreover, Nutlin-3, as well as tumor necrosis factor (TNF α, potentiated the maturational activity of recombinant TNF-related apoptosis-inducing lig, (TRAIL in HL-60 cells. However, although TNF-α significantly counteracted the proapoptotic activity of TRAIL, Nutlin-3 did not interfere with the proapoptotic activity of TRAIL. Taken together, these data disclose a novel, potentially relevant therapeutic role for Nutlin-3 in the treatment of both p53 wild-type, p53-/- AML, possibly in association with recombinant TRAIL.

  1. Selective increase in the association of the β2 adrenergic receptor, β Arrestin-1 and p53 with Mdm2 in the ventral hippocampus one month after underwater trauma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sood, Rapita; Ritov, Gilad; Richter-Levin, Gal; Barki-Harrington, Liza

    2013-03-01

    Chronic infusion of mice with a β2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR) analog was shown to cause long-term DNA damage in a pathway which involves β Arresin-1-mediated activation of Mdm2 and subsequent degradation of the tumor suppressor protein p53. The objective of the present study was to test whether a single acute stress, which manifests long lasting changes in behavior, affects the interaction of Mdm2 with p53, β2AR, and β Arrestin-1 in the dorsal and ventral hippocampal CA1. Adult rats were subject to underwater trauma, a brief forceful submersion under water and tested a month later for behavioral and biochemical changes. Elevated plus maze tests confirmed that animals that experienced the threat of drowning present heightened levels of anxiety one month after trauma. An examination of the CA1 hippocampal areas of the same rats showed that underwater trauma caused a significant increase in the association of Mdm2 with β2AR, β Arrestin-1, and p53 in the ventral but not dorsal CA1. Our results provide support for the idea that stress-related events may result in biochemical changes restricted to the ventral 'emotion-related' parts of the hippocampus. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Melatonin and vitamin D3 synergistically down-regulate Akt and MDM2 leading to TGFβ-1-dependent growth inhibition of breast cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Proietti, Sara; Cucina, Alessandra; D'Anselmi, Fabrizio; Dinicola, Simona; Pasqualato, Alessia; Lisi, Elisabetta; Bizzarri, Mariano

    2011-03-01

    Melatonin and vitamin D3 inhibit breast cancer cell growth and induce apoptosis, but they have never been combined as a breast cancer treatment. Therefore, we investigated whether their association could lead to an enhanced anticancer activity. In MCF-7 breast cancer cells, melatonin together with vitamin D3, induced a synergistic proliferative inhibition, with an almost complete cell growth arrest at 144 hr. Cell growth blockade is associated to an activation of the TGFβ-1 pathway, leading to increased TGFβ-1, Smad4 and phosphorylated-Smad3 levels. Concomitantly, melatonin and D3, alone or in combination, caused a significant reduction in Akt phosphorylation and MDM2 values, with a consequent increase of p53/MDM2 ratio. These effects were completely suppressed by adding a monoclonal anti-TGFβ-1 antibody to the culture medium. Taken together, these results indicate that cytostatic effects triggered by melatonin and D3 are likely related to a complex TGFβ-1-dependent mechanism, involving down-regulation of both MDM2 and Akt-phosphorylation. © 2010 The Authors. Journal of Pineal Research © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  3. An Integrative Analysis Reveals a Central Role of P53 Activation via MDM2 in Zika Virus Infection Induced Cell Death

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    Yue Teng

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Zika virus (ZIKV infection is an emerging global threat that is suspected to be associated with fetal microcephaly. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying ZIKV disease pathogenesis in humans remain elusive. Here, we investigated the human protein interaction network associated with ZIKV infection using a systemic virology approach, and reconstructed the transcriptional regulatory network to analyze the mechanisms underlying ZIKV-elicited microcephaly pathogenesis. The bioinformatics findings in this study show that P53 is the hub of the genetic regulatory network for ZIKV-related and microcephaly-associated proteins. Importantly, these results imply that the ZIKV capsid protein interacts with mouse double-minute-2 homolog (MDM2, which is involved in the P53-mediated apoptosis pathway, activating the death of infected neural cells. We also found that synthetic mimics of the ZIKV capsid protein induced cell death in vitro and in vivo. This study provides important insight into the relationship between ZIKV infection and brain diseases.

  4. Fibroid explants reveal a higher sensitivity against MDM2-inhibitor nutlin-3 than matching myometrium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Markowski Dominique N

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Spontaneous cessation of growth is a frequent finding in uterine fibroids. Increasing evidence suggests an important role of cellular senescence in this growth control. Deciphering the underlying mechanisms of growth control that can be expected not only to shed light on the biology of the tumors but also to identify novel therapeutic targets. Methods We have analyzed uterine leiomyomas and matching normal tissue for the expression of p14Arf and used explants to see if reducing the MDM2 activity using the small-molecule inhibitor nutlin-3 can induce p53 and activate genes involved in senescence and/or apoptosis. For these studies quantitative real-time RT-PCR, Western blots, and immunohistochemistry were used. Statistical analyses were performed using the student's t test. Results An in depth analysis of 52 fibroids along with matching myometrium from 31 patients revealed in almost all cases a higher expression of p14Arf in the tumors than in the matching normal tissue. In tissue explants, treatment with the MDM2 inhibitor nutlin-3 induced apoptosis as well as senescence as revealed by a dose-dependent increase of the expression of BAX as well as of p21, respectively. Simultaneously, the expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67 drastically decreased. Western-blot analysis identified an increase of the p53 level as the most likely reason for the increased activity of its downstream markers BAX and p21. Because as a rule fibroids express much higher levels of p14Arf, a major negative regulator of MDM2, than matching myometrium it was then analyzed if fibroids are more sensitive against nutlin-3 treatment than matching myometrium. We were able to show that in most fibroids analyzed a higher sensibility than that of matching myometrium was noted with a corresponding increase of the p53 immunopositivity of the fibroid samples compared to those from myometrium. Conclusions The results show that uterine fibroids represent a cell

  5. Molecular mechanisms of MYCN-dependent apoptosis and the MDM2–p53 pathway: an Achille’s heel to be exploited for the therapy of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petroni, Marialaura; Veschi, Veronica; Gulino, Alberto; Giannini, Giuseppe

    2012-01-01

    The p53 oncosuppressor is very seldom mutated in neuroblastoma, but several mechanisms cooperate to its functional inactivation in this tumor. Increased MDM2 levels, due to genetic amplification or constitutive inhibition of p14 ARF , significantly contribute to this event highlighting p53 reactivation as an attractive perspective for neuroblastoma treatment. In addition to its role in tumorigenesis, MYCN sensitizes untransformed and cancer cells to apoptosis. This is associated to a fine modulation of the MDM2–p53 pathway. Indeed MYCN induces p53 and MDM2 transcription, and, by evoking a DNA damage response (DDR), it stabilizes p53 and its proapoptotic kinase Homeodomain Interacting Protein Kinase 2 (HIPK2). Through the regulation of the HIPK2-p53 inhibitor High Mobility Group protein A1 (HMGA1) and the homeobox proteins BMI-1 and TWIST-1, MYCN establishes a delicate balance between pro- and antiapoptotic molecules that might be easily perturbed by a variety of insults, leading to cell death. MDM2–p53 antagonists, such as Nutlin-3, are strikingly prone to inducing death in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, by further pushing on HIPK2 accumulation. Here we discuss implications and caveats of exploiting this pathway and its connections to MYCN-induced DDR for a tailored therapy of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma.

  6. Molecular mechanisms of MYCN-dependent apoptosis and the MDM2–p53 pathway: an Achille’s heel to be exploited for the therapy of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Petroni, Marialaura; Veschi, Veronica; Gulino, Alberto; Giannini, Giuseppe, E-mail: giuseppe.giannini@uniroma1.it [Department of Molecular Medicine, University “La Sapienza”, Rome (Italy)

    2012-10-12

    The p53 oncosuppressor is very seldom mutated in neuroblastoma, but several mechanisms cooperate to its functional inactivation in this tumor. Increased MDM2 levels, due to genetic amplification or constitutive inhibition of p14{sup ARF}, significantly contribute to this event highlighting p53 reactivation as an attractive perspective for neuroblastoma treatment. In addition to its role in tumorigenesis, MYCN sensitizes untransformed and cancer cells to apoptosis. This is associated to a fine modulation of the MDM2–p53 pathway. Indeed MYCN induces p53 and MDM2 transcription, and, by evoking a DNA damage response (DDR), it stabilizes p53 and its proapoptotic kinase Homeodomain Interacting Protein Kinase 2 (HIPK2). Through the regulation of the HIPK2-p53 inhibitor High Mobility Group protein A1 (HMGA1) and the homeobox proteins BMI-1 and TWIST-1, MYCN establishes a delicate balance between pro- and antiapoptotic molecules that might be easily perturbed by a variety of insults, leading to cell death. MDM2–p53 antagonists, such as Nutlin-3, are strikingly prone to inducing death in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, by further pushing on HIPK2 accumulation. Here we discuss implications and caveats of exploiting this pathway and its connections to MYCN-induced DDR for a tailored therapy of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma.

  7. Structure-function insights into direct lipid transfer between membranes by Mmm1-Mdm12 of ERMES.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawano, Shin; Tamura, Yasushi; Kojima, Rieko; Bala, Siqin; Asai, Eri; Michel, Agnès H; Kornmann, Benoît; Riezman, Isabelle; Riezman, Howard; Sakae, Yoshitake; Okamoto, Yuko; Endo, Toshiya

    2018-03-05

    The endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondrial encounter structure (ERMES) physically links the membranes of the ER and mitochondria in yeast. Although the ER and mitochondria cooperate to synthesize glycerophospholipids, whether ERMES directly facilitates the lipid exchange between the two organelles remains controversial. Here, we compared the x-ray structures of an ERMES subunit Mdm12 from Kluyveromyces lactis with that of Mdm12 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and found that both Mdm12 proteins possess a hydrophobic pocket for phospholipid binding. However in vitro lipid transfer assays showed that Mdm12 alone or an Mmm1 (another ERMES subunit) fusion protein exhibited only a weak lipid transfer activity between liposomes. In contrast, Mdm12 in a complex with Mmm1 mediated efficient lipid transfer between liposomes. Mutations in Mmm1 or Mdm12 impaired the lipid transfer activities of the Mdm12-Mmm1 complex and furthermore caused defective phosphatidylserine transport from the ER to mitochondrial membranes via ERMES in vitro. Therefore, the Mmm1-Mdm12 complex functions as a minimal unit that mediates lipid transfer between membranes. © 2018 Kawano et al.

  8. Cholesterol Perturbation in Mice Results in p53 Degradation and Axonal Pathology through p38 MAPK and Mdm2 Activation.

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    Qingyu Qin

    Full Text Available Perturbation of lipid metabolism, especially of cholesterol homeostasis, can be catastrophic to mammalian brain, as it has the highest level of cholesterol in the body. This notion is best illustrated by the severe progressive neurodegeneration in Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC disease, one of the lysosomal storage diseases, caused by mutations in the NPC1 or NPC2 gene. In this study, we found that growth cone collapse induced by genetic or pharmacological disruption of cholesterol egress from late endosomes/lysosomes was directly related to a decrease in axonal and growth cone levels of the phosphorylated form of the tumor suppressor factor p53. Cholesterol perturbation-induced growth cone collapse and decrease in phosphorylated p53 were reduced by inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK and murine double minute (Mdm2 E3 ligase. Growth cone collapse induced by genetic (npc1-/- or pharmacological modification of cholesterol metabolism was Rho kinase (ROCK-dependent and associated with increased RhoA protein synthesis; both processes were significantly reduced by P38 MAPK or Mdm2 inhibition. Finally, in vivo ROCK inhibition significantly increased phosphorylated p53 levels and neurofilaments in axons, and axonal bundle size in npc1-/- mice. These results indicate that NPC-related and cholesterol perturbation-induced axonal pathology is associated with an abnormal signaling pathway consisting in p38 MAPK activation leading to Mdm2-mediated p53 degradation, followed by ROCK activation. These results also suggest new targets for pharmacological treatment of NPC disease and other diseases associated with disruption of cholesterol metabolism.

  9. Npas4 Regulates Mdm2 and thus Dcx in Experience-Dependent Dendritic Spine Development of Newborn Olfactory Bulb Interneurons

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    Sei-ichi Yoshihara

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Sensory experience regulates the development of various brain structures, including the cortex, hippocampus, and olfactory bulb (OB. Little is known about how sensory experience regulates the dendritic spine development of OB interneurons, such as granule cells (GCs, although it is well studied in mitral/tufted cells. Here, we identify a transcription factor, Npas4, which is expressed in OB GCs immediately after sensory input and is required for dendritic spine formation. Npas4 overexpression in OB GCs increases dendritic spine density, even under sensory deprivation, and rescues reduction of dendrite spine density in the Npas4 knockout OB. Furthermore, loss of Npas4 upregulates expression of the E3-ubiquitin ligase Mdm2, which ubiquitinates a microtubule-associated protein Dcx. This leads to reduction in the dendritic spine density of OB GCs. Together, these findings suggest that Npas4 regulates Mdm2 expression to ubiquitinate and degrade Dcx during dendritic spine development in newborn OB GCs after sensory experience.

  10. LRRK2 interacts with ATM and regulates Mdm2-p53 cell proliferation axis in response to genotoxic stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhongcan; Cao, Zhen; Zhang, Wei; Gu, Minxia; Zhou, Zhi Dong; Li, Baojie; Li, Jing; Tan, Eng King; Zeng, Li

    2017-11-15

    Pathogenic leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) mutations are recognized as the most common cause of familial Parkinson's disease in certain populations. Recently, LRRK2 mutations were shown to be associated with a higher risk of hormone-related cancers. However, how LRRK2 itself contributes to cancer risk remains unknown. DNA damage causes cancer, and DNA damage responses are among the most important pathways in cancer biology. To understand the role of LRRK2 in DNA damage response pathway, we induced DNA damage by applying genotoxic stress to the cells with Adriamycin. We found that DNA damage enhances LRRK2 phosphorylation at Serine 910, Serine 935 and Serine 1292. We further showed that LRRK2 phosphorylation is abolished in the absence of ATM, suggesting that LRRK2 phosphorylation requires ATM. It should also be noted that LRRK2 interacts with ATM. In contrast, overexpression or knockdown of LRRK2 does not affect ATM phosphorylation, indicating that LRRK2 is the downstream target of ATM in response to DNA damage. Moreover, we demonstrated that LRRK2 increases the expression of p53 and p21 by increasing the Mdm2 phosphorylation in response to DNA damage. Loss-of-function in LRRK2 has the opposite effect to that of LRRK2. In addition, FACS analysis revealed that LRRK2 enhances cell cycle progression into S phase in response to DNA damage, a finding that was confirmed by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine immunostaining. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that LRRK2 plays an important role in the ATM-Mdm2-p53 pathway that regulates cell proliferation in response to DNA damage. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. In squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva, overexpression of p53 is a late event and neither p53 nor mdm2 expression is a useful marker to predict lymph node metastases

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Emanuels, AG; Koudstaal, J; Burger, MPM; Hollema, H

    To offer more tailored treatment to individual patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulval more accurate prediction of lymph node metastases is required. As p53 and mdm2 are genes known to be involved in the development of other tumours, we studied expression of p53 and mdm2 in

  12. The MDM2-p53-pyruvate carboxylase signalling axis couples mitochondrial metabolism to glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Xiaomu; Cheng, Kenneth K. Y.; Liu, Zhuohao

    2016-01-01

    deletion or pharmacological inhibition of its negative regulator MDM2, impairs GSIS, leading to glucose intolerance in mice. Mechanistically, p53 activation represses the expression of the mitochondrial enzyme pyruvate carboxylase (PC), resulting in diminished production of the TCA cycle intermediates...

  13. MDM2 phenotypic and genotypic profiling, respective to TP53 genetic status, in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients treated with rituximab-CHOP immunochemotherapy: a report from the International DLBCL Rituximab-CHOP Consortium Program

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Xu-Monette, Z.Y.; Moller, M.B.; Tzankov, A.; Montes-Moreno, S.; Hu, W.; Manyam, G.C.; Kristensen, L.; Fan, L.; Visco, C.; Dybkaer, K.; Chiu, A.; Tam, W.; Zu, Y.; Bhagat, G.; Richards, K.L.; Hsi, E.D.; Choi, W.W.; Krieken, J.H.J.M. van; Huang, Q.; Huh, J.; Ai, W.; Ponzoni, M.; Ferreri, A.J.; Wu, L.; Zhao, X.; Bueso-Ramos, C.E.; Wang, S.A.; Go, R.S.; Li, Y.; Winter, J.N.; Piris, M.A.; Medeiros, L.J.; Young, K.H.

    2013-01-01

    MDM2 is a key negative regulator of the tumor suppressor p53, however, the prognostic significance of MDM2 overexpression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has not been defined convincingly. In a p53 genetically-defined large cohort of de novo DLBCL patients treated with rituximab,

  14. IGF-1R/MDM2 relationship confers enhanced sensitivity to RITA in Ewing sarcoma cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Conza, Giusy; Buttarelli, Marianna; Monti, Olimpia; Pellegrino, Marsha; Mancini, Francesca; Pontecorvi, Alfredo; Scotlandi, Katia; Moretti, Fabiola

    2012-06-01

    Ewing sarcoma is one of the most frequent bone cancers in adolescence. Although multidisciplinary therapy has improved the survival rate for localized tumors, a critical step is the development of new drugs to improve the long-term outcome of recurrent and metastatic disease and to reduce side effects of conventional therapy. Here, we show that the small molecule reactivation of p53 and induction of tumor cell apoptosis (RITA, NSC652287) is highly effective in reducing growth and tumorigenic potential of Ewing sarcoma cell lines. These effects occur both in the presence of wt-p53 as well as of mutant or truncated forms of p53, or in its absence, suggesting the presence of additional targets in this tumor histotype. Further experiments provided evidence that RITA modulates an important oncogenic mark of these cell lines, insulin-like growth factor receptor 1 (IGF-1R). Particularly, RITA causes downregulation of IGF-1R protein levels. MDM2 degradative activity is involved in this phenomenon. Indeed, inhibition of MDM2 function by genetic or pharmacologic approaches reduces RITA sensitivity of Ewing sarcoma cell lines. Overall, these data suggest that in the cell context of Ewing sarcoma, RITA may adopt additional mechanism of action besides targeting p53, expanding its field of application. Noteworthy, these results envisage the promising utilization of RITA or its derivative as a potential treatment for Ewing sarcomas. ©2012 AACR

  15. A Regulatory MDM4 Genetic Variant Locating in the Binding Sequence of Multiple MicroRNAs Contributes to Susceptibility of Small Cell Lung Cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feng Gao

    Full Text Available A functional rs4245739 A>C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP locating in the MDM43'-untranslated (3'-UTR region creates a miR-191-5p or miR-887-3p targeting sites. This change results in decreased expression of oncogene MDM4. Therefore, we examined the association between this SNP and small cell lung cancer (SCLC risk as well as its regulatory function in SCLC cells. Genotypes were determined in two independent case-control sets consisted of 520SCLC cases and 1040 controls from two regions of China. Odds ratios (ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs were estimated by logistic regression. The impact of the rs4245739 SNP on miR-191-5p/miR-887-3p mediated MDM4 expression regulation was investigated using luciferase reporter gene assays. We found that the MDM4 rs4245739AC and CC genotypes were significantly associated with decreased SCLC susceptibility compared with the AA genotype in both case-control sets (Shandong set: OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.32-0.89, P = 0.014; Jiangsu set: OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.26-0.879, P = 0.017. Stratified analyses indicated that there was a significantly multiplicative interaction between rs4245739 and smoking (Pinteractioin = 0.048. After co-tranfection of miRNAs and different allelic-MDM4 reporter constructs into SCLC cells, we found that the both miR-191-5p and miR-887-3p can lead to significantly decreased MDM4 expression activities in the construct with C-allelic 3'-UTR but not A-allelic 3'-UTR, suggesting a consistent genotype-phenotype correlation. Our data illuminate that the MDM4rs4245739SNP contributes to SCLC risk and support the notion that gene 3'-UTR genetic variants, impacting miRNA-binding, might modify SCLC susceptibility.

  16. Reverberation Mapping Results from MDM Observatory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Denney, Kelly D.; Peterson, B. M.; Pogge, R. W.

    2009-01-01

    We present results from a multi-month reverberation mapping campaign undertaken primarily at MDM Observatory with supporting observations from around the world. We measure broad line region (BLR) radii and black hole masses for six objects. A velocity-resolved analysis of the H_beta response show...

  17. Co-operative intra-protein structural response due to protein-protein complexation revealed through thermodynamic quantification: study of MDM2-p53 binding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samanta, Sudipta; Mukherjee, Sanchita

    2017-10-01

    The p53 protein activation protects the organism from propagation of cells with damaged DNA having oncogenic mutations. In normal cells, activity of p53 is controlled by interaction with MDM2. The well understood p53-MDM2 interaction facilitates design of ligands that could potentially disrupt or prevent the complexation owing to its emergence as an important objective for cancer therapy. However, thermodynamic quantification of the p53-peptide induced structural changes of the MDM2-protein remains an area to be explored. This study attempts to understand the conformational free energy and entropy costs due to this complex formation from the histograms of dihedral angles generated from molecular dynamics simulations. Residue-specific quantification illustrates that, hydrophobic residues of the protein contribute maximum to the conformational thermodynamic changes. Thermodynamic quantification of structural changes of the protein unfold the fact that, p53 binding provides a source of inter-element cooperativity among the protein secondary structural elements, where the highest affected structural elements (α2 and α4) found at the binding site of the protein affects faraway structural elements (β1 and Loop1) of the protein. The communication perhaps involves water mediated hydrogen bonded network formation. Further, we infer that in inhibitory F19A mutation of P53, though Phe19 is important in the recognition process, it has less prominent contribution in the stability of the complex. Collectively, this study provides vivid microscopic understanding of the interaction within the protein complex along with exploring mutation sites, which will contribute further to engineer the protein function and binding affinity.

  18. Co-operative intra-protein structural response due to protein-protein complexation revealed through thermodynamic quantification: study of MDM2-p53 binding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samanta, Sudipta; Mukherjee, Sanchita

    2017-10-01

    The p53 protein activation protects the organism from propagation of cells with damaged DNA having oncogenic mutations. In normal cells, activity of p53 is controlled by interaction with MDM2. The well understood p53-MDM2 interaction facilitates design of ligands that could potentially disrupt or prevent the complexation owing to its emergence as an important objective for cancer therapy. However, thermodynamic quantification of the p53-peptide induced structural changes of the MDM2-protein remains an area to be explored. This study attempts to understand the conformational free energy and entropy costs due to this complex formation from the histograms of dihedral angles generated from molecular dynamics simulations. Residue-specific quantification illustrates that, hydrophobic residues of the protein contribute maximum to the conformational thermodynamic changes. Thermodynamic quantification of structural changes of the protein unfold the fact that, p53 binding provides a source of inter-element cooperativity among the protein secondary structural elements, where the highest affected structural elements (α2 and α4) found at the binding site of the protein affects faraway structural elements (β1 and Loop1) of the protein. The communication perhaps involves water mediated hydrogen bonded network formation. Further, we infer that in inhibitory F19A mutation of P53, though Phe19 is important in the recognition process, it has less prominent contribution in the stability of the complex. Collectively, this study provides vivid microscopic understanding of the interaction within the protein complex along with exploring mutation sites, which will contribute further to engineer the protein function and binding affinity.

  19. Automated brightfield dual-color in situ hybridization for detection of mouse double minute 2 gene amplification in sarcomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wenjun; McElhinny, Abigail; Nielsen, Alma; Wang, Maria; Miller, Melanie; Singh, Shalini; Rueger, Ruediger; Rubin, Brian P; Wang, Zhen; Tubbs, Raymond R; Nagle, Raymond B; Roche, Pat; Wu, Ping; Pestic-Dragovich, Lidija

    2011-01-01

    The human homolog of the mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) oncogene is amplified in about 20% of sarcomas. The measurement of the MDM2 amplification can aid in classification and may provide a predictive value for recently formulated therapies targeting MDM2. We have developed and validated an automated bright field dual-color in situ hybridization application to detect MDM2 gene amplification. A repeat-depleted MDM2 probe was constructed to target the MDM2 gene region at 12q15. A chromosome 12-specific probe (CHR12) was generated from a pα12H8 plasmid. The in situ hybridization assay was developed by using a dinitrophenyl-labeled MDM2 probe and a digoxigenin-labeled CHR12 probe on the Ventana Medical Systems' automated slide-staining platforms. The specificity of the MDM2 and CHR12 probes was shown on metaphase spreads and further validated against controls, including normal human tonsil and known MDM2-amplified samples. The assay performance was evaluated on a cohort of 100 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens by using a conventional bright field microscope. Simultaneous hybridization and signal detection for MDM2 and CHR12 showed that both DNA targets were present in the same cells. One hundred soft tissue specimens were stained for MDM2 and CHR12. Although 26 of 29 lipomas were nonamplified and eusomic, MDM2 amplification was noted in 78% of atypical lipomatous tumors or well-differentiated liposarcomas. Five of 6 dedifferentiated liposarcoma cases were amplified for MDM2. MDM2 amplification was observed in 1 of 8 osteosarcomas; 3 showed CHR12 aneusomy. MDM2 amplification was present in 1 of 4 chondrosarcomas. Nine of 10 synovial sarcomas displayed no evidence of MDM2 amplification in most tumor cells. In pleomorphic sarcoma, not otherwise specified (pleomorphic malignant fibrous histiocytoma), MDM2 was amplified in 38% of cases, whereas 92% were aneusomic for CHR12. One alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and 2 embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas displayed low-level aneusomy

  20. Cyclophilin B induces chemoresistance by degrading wild type p53 via interaction with MDM2 in colorectal cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Tae Gyu; Nguyen, Minh Nam; Kim, Jieun; Jo, Yong Hwa; Jang, Miran; Nguyen, Ngoc Ngo Yen; Yun, Hyeong Rok; Choe, Wonchae; Kang, Insug; Ha, Joohun; Tang, Dean G; Kim, Sung Soo

    2018-06-06

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Chemoresistance is a major problem for effective therapy in CRC. Here, we investigated the mechanism by which peptidylprolyl isomerase B (PPIB; cyclophilin B, CypB) regulates chemoresistance in CRC. We found that CypB is a novel wild type p53 (p53WT)-inducible gene but a negative regulator of p53WT in response to oxaliplatin treatment. Overexpression of CypB shortens the half-life of p53WT and inhibits oxaliplatin-induced apoptosis in CRC cells, whereas knockdown of CypB lengthens the half-life of p53WT and stimulates p53WT dependent apoptosis. CypB interacts directly with MDM2, and enhances MDM2-dependent p53WT ubiquitination and degradation. Furthermore, we firmly validated using bioinformatics analyses that overexpression of CypB is associated with poor prognosis in CRC progression and chemoresistance. Hence, we suggest a novel mechanism of chemoresistance caused by overexpressed CypB, which may help to develop new anti-cancer drugs. We also propose that CypB may be utilized as a predictive biomarker in CRC patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  1. Interferometric characterization of few-mode fibers (FMF) for mode-division multiplexing (MDM)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Muliar, Olena; Usuga Castaneda, Mario A.; Rottwitt, Karsten

    2015-01-01

    ), commonly used in a MDM scenario. This experimental technique requires the use of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, where the reference's path length is controlled by an optical delay line. The interference between the output beams of reference and fiber under test (FUT) is recorded on a CCD camera......The rapid growth of global data traffic demands the continuous search for new technologies and systems that could increase transmission capacity in optical links and recent experiments show that to do so, it is advantageous to explore new degrees of freedom such as polarization, wavelength...... or optical modes. Mode division multiplexing (MDM) appears in this context as a promising and viable solution for such capacity increase, since it utilizes multiple spatial modes of an optical fiber as individual communication channels for data transmission. In order to evaluate its performance, a MDM system...

  2. Copy Number Analysis of 24 Oncogenes: MDM4 Identified as a Putative Marker for Low Recurrence Risk in Non Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samanta Salvi

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC generally have a high risk of relapsing locally after primary tumor resection. The search for new predictive markers of local recurrence thus represents an important goal for the management of this disease. We studied the copy number variations (CNVs of 24 oncogenes (MDM4, MYCN, ALK, PDGFRA, KIT, KDR, DHFR, EGFR, MET, SMO, FGFR1, MYC, ABL1, RET, CCND1, CCND2, CDK4, MDM2, AURKB, ERBB2, TOP2A, AURKA, AR and BRAF using multiplex ligation probe amplification technique to verify their role as predictive markers of recurrence. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 43 patients who underwent transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB were used; 23 patients had relapsed and 20 were disease-free after 5 years. Amplification frequencies were analyzed for all genes and MDM4 was the only gene that showed significantly higher amplification in non recurrent patients than in recurrent ones (0.65 vs. 0.3; Fisher’s test p = 0.023. Recurrence-free survival analysis confirmed the predictive role of MDM4 (log-rank test p = 0.041. Our preliminary results indicate a putative role for the MDM4 gene in predicting local recurrence of bladder cancer. Confirmation of this hypothesis is needed in a larger cohort of NMIBC patients.

  3. Hardware Acceleration of SQL-Queries Processing in MDM-Systems Based on MISDSolution

    OpenAIRE

    V. E. Podol'skii; A. V. Samochadin; S. S. Koloskov

    2015-01-01

    In this article we examine the possibility of hardware support for functions of mobile device management platform (MDM-platform) using a Multiple Instructions and Single Data stream computer system, developed within the framework of the project in Bauman Moscow State Technical University. At the universities the MDM-platform is used to provide various mobile services for the faculty, students and administration to facilitate the learning process: a mobile schedule, document sharing, text mess...

  4. Pokemon enhances proliferation, cell cycle progression and anti-apoptosis activity of colorectal cancer independently of p14ARF-MDM2-p53 pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yi; Yao, Yun-hong; Li, Li; An, Wei-fang; Chen, Hong-zen; Sun, Li-ping; Kang, Hai-xian; Wang, Sen; Hu, Xin-rong

    2014-12-01

    Pokemon has been showed to directly suppress p14(ARF) expression and also to overexpress in multiple cancers. However, p14(ARF)-MDM2-p53 pathway is usually aberrant in colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim is to confirm whether Pokemon plays a role in CRC and explore whether Pokemon works through p14(ARF)-MDM2-p53 pathway in CRC. Immunohistochemistry for Pokemon, p14(ARF) and Mtp53 protein was applied to 45 colorectal epitheliums (CREs), 42 colorectal adenomas (CRAs) and 66 CRCs. Pokemon was knocked down with RNAi technique in CRC cell line Lovo to detect mRNA expression of p14(ARF) with qRT-PCR, cell proliferation with CCK8 assay, and cell cycle and apoptosis with flowcytometry analysis. The protein expression rates were significantly higher in CRC (75.8%) than in CRE (22.2 %) or CRA (38.1%) for Pokemon and higher in CRC (53.0%) than in CRE (0) or CRA (4.8%) for Mtp53, but not significantly different in CRC (86.4 %) versus CRE (93.3%) or CRA (90.5 %) for p14(ARF). Higher expression rate of Pokemon was associated with lymph node metastasis and higher Duke's stage. After knockdown of Pokemon in Lovo cells, the mRNA level of p14(ARF) was not significantly changed, the cell proliferation ability was decreased by 20.6%, cell cycle was arrested by 55.7% in G0/G1 phase, and apoptosis rate was increased by 19.0%. Pokemon enhanced the oncogenesis of CRC by promoting proliferation, cell cycle progression and anti-apoptosis activity of CRC cells independently of p14(ARF)-MDM2-p53 pathway. This finding provided a novel idea for understanding and further studying the molecular mechanism of Pokemon on carcinogenesis of CRC.

  5. d-Amino acid mutation of PMI as potent dual peptide inhibitors of p53-MDM2/MDMX interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiang; Liu, Chao; Chen, Si; Hu, Honggang; Su, Jiacan; Zou, Yan

    2017-10-15

    According to the previously reported potent dual l-peptide PMI of p53-MDM2/MDMX interactions, a series of d-amino acid mutational PMI analogues, PMI-1-4, with enhanced proteolytic resistence and in vitro tumor cell inhibitory activities were reported, of which Liposome-PMI-1 showed a stronger inhibitory activity against the U87 cell lines than Nutlin-3. This d-amino acid mutation strategy may give a hand for enhancing the potential of peptide drugs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. The Role of Tumor Protein 53 Mutations in Common Human Cancers and Targeting the Murine Double Minute 2–P53 Interaction for Cancer Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tayebeh Hamzehloie

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available The gene TP53 (also known as protein 53 or tumor protein 53, encoding transcription factor P53, is mutated or deleted in half of human cancers, demonstrating the crucial role of P53 in tumor suppression. There are reports of nearly 250 independent germ line TP53 mutations in over 100 publications. The P53 protein has the structure of a transcription factor and, is made up of several domains. The main function of P53 is to organize cell defense against cancerous transformation. P53 is a potent transcription factor that is activated in response to diverse stresses, leading to the induction of cell cycle arrest, apoptosis or senescence. The P53 tumor suppressor is negatively regulated in cells by the murine double minute 2 (MDM2 protein. Murine double minute 2 favors its nuclear export, and stimulates its degradation. Inhibitors of the P53-MDM2 interaction might be attractive new anticancer agents that could be used to activate wild-type P53 in tumors. Down regulation of MDM2 using an small interfering RNA (siRNA approach has recently provided evidence for a new role of MDM2 in the P53 response, by modulating the inhibition of the cyclin dependent kinase 2 (cdk2 by P21/WAF1 (also known as cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 or CDK-interacting protein 1.

  7. Expression of Bcl-2, p53, and MDM2 in Localized Prostate Cancer With Respect to the Outcome of Radical Radiotherapy Dose Escalation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vergis, Roy; Corbishley, Catherine M.; Thomas, Karen

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: Established prognostic factors in localized prostate cancer explain only a moderate proportion of variation in outcome. We analyzed tumor expression of apoptotic markers with respect to outcome in men with localized prostate cancer in two randomized controlled trials of radiotherapy dose escalation. Methods and Materials: Between 1995 and 2001, 308 patients with localized prostate cancer received neoadjuvant androgen deprivation and radical radiotherapy at our institution in one of two dose-escalation trials. The biopsy specimens in 201 cases were used to make a biopsy tissue microarray. We evaluated tumor expression of Bcl-2, p53, and MDM2 by immunohistochemistry with respect to outcome. Results: Median follow-up was 7 years, and 5-year freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF) was 70.4% (95% CI, 63.5-76.3%). On univariate analysis, expression of Bcl-2 (p < 0.001) and p53 (p = 0.017), but not MDM2 (p = 0.224), was significantly associated with FFBF. Expression of Bcl-2 remained significantly associated with FFBF (p = 0.001) on multivariate analysis, independently of T stage, Gleason score, initial prostate-specific antigen level, and radiotherapy dose. Seven-year biochemical control was 61% vs. 41% (p = 0.0122) for 74 Gy vs. 64 Gy, respectively, among patients with Bcl-2-positive tumors and 87% vs. 81% (p = 0.423) for 74 Gy vs. 64 Gy, respectively, among patients with Bcl-2-negative tumors. There was no statistically significant interaction between dose and Bcl-2 expression. Conclusions: Bcl-2 expression was a significant, independent determinant of biochemical control after neoadjuvant androgen deprivation and radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer. These data generate the hypothesis that Bcl-2 expression could be used to inform the choice of radiotherapy dose in individual patients.

  8. Association of the germline TP53 R72P and MDM2 SNP309 variants with breast cancer survival in specific breast tumor subgroups

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Broek, Alexandra J.; Broeks, Annegien; Horlings, Hugo M.; Canisius, Sander V. M.; Braaf, Linde M.; Langerød, Anita; van't Veer, Laura J.; Schmidt, Marjanka K.

    2011-01-01

    The tumor suppressor gene TP53 and its regulator MDM2 are both important players in the DNA-damage repair "TP53 response pathway". Common germline polymorphisms in these genes may affect outcome in patients with tumors characterized by additional somatic changes in the same or a related pathway. To

  9. The MDM2-inhibitor Nutlin-3 synergizes with cisplatin to induce p53 dependent tumor cell apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deben, Christophe; Wouters, An; de Beeck, Ken Op; van Den Bossche, Jolien; Jacobs, Julie; Zwaenepoel, Karen; Peeters, Marc; Van Meerbeeck, Jan; Lardon, Filip; Rolfo, Christian; Deschoolmeester, Vanessa; Pauwels, Patrick

    2015-01-01

    The p53/MDM2 interaction has been a well-studied target for new drug design leading to the development of the small molecule inhibitor Nutlin-3. Our objectives were to combine Nutlin-3 with cisplatin (CDDP), a well-known activator of the p53 pathway, in a series of non-small cell lung cancer cell lines in order to increase the cytotoxic response to CDDP. We report that sequential treatment (CDDP followed by Nutlin-3), but not simultaneous treatment, resulted in strong synergism. Combination treatment induced p53's transcriptional activity, resulting in increased mRNA and protein levels of MDM2, p21, PUMA and BAX. In addition we report the induction of a strong p53 dependent apoptotic response and induction of G2/M cell cycle arrest. The strongest synergistic effect was observed at low doses of both CDDP and Nutlin-3, which could result in fewer (off-target) side effects while maintaining a strong cytotoxic effect. Our results indicate a promising preclinical potential, emphasizing the importance of the applied treatment scheme and the presence of wild type p53 for the combination of CDDP and Nutlin-3. PMID:26125230

  10. The NEDD8 inhibitor MLN4924 increases the size of the nucleolus and activates p53 through the ribosomal-Mdm2 pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailly, A; Perrin, A; Bou Malhab, L J; Pion, E; Larance, M; Nagala, M; Smith, P; O'Donohue, M-F; Gleizes, P-E; Zomerdijk, J; Lamond, A I; Xirodimas, D P

    2016-01-28

    The ubiquitin-like molecule NEDD8 is essential for viability, growth and development, and is a potential target for therapeutic intervention. We found that the small molecule inhibitor of NEDDylation, MLN4924, alters the morphology and increases the surface size of the nucleolus in human and germline cells of Caenorhabditis elegans in the absence of nucleolar fragmentation. SILAC proteomics and monitoring of rRNA production, processing and ribosome profiling shows that MLN4924 changes the composition of the nucleolar proteome but does not inhibit RNA Pol I transcription. Further analysis demonstrates that MLN4924 activates the p53 tumour suppressor through the RPL11/RPL5-Mdm2 pathway, with characteristics of nucleolar stress. The study identifies the nucleolus as a target of inhibitors of NEDDylation and provides a mechanism for p53 activation upon NEDD8 inhibition. It also indicates that targeting the nucleolar proteome without affecting nucleolar transcription initiates the required signalling events for the control of cell cycle regulators.

  11. Modulation of the expression of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan in stimulated human monocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uhlin-Hansen, L.; Eskeland, T.; Kolset, S.O.

    1989-01-01

    Proteoglycan biosynthesis was studied in human monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) after exposure to typical activators of the monocyte/macrophage system: interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). By morphological examination, both monocytes and MDM were stimulated by these activators. Treatment with IFN-gamma resulted in a slight decrease in the expression of [35S]chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) in both monocytes and MDM, whereas LPS treatment increased the [35S]CSPG expression 1.8 and 2.2 times, respectively. PMA, in contrast, decreased the CSPG expression 0.4 times in monocytes, whereas MDM were stimulated to increase the biosynthesis 1.9 times. An increase in the sulfate density of the chondroitin sulfate chains was evident following differentiation of monocytes into MDM due to the expression of disulfated disaccharide units of the chondroitin sulfate E type (CS-E). However, monocytes exposed to PMA did also express disaccharides of the chondroitin sulfate E type. Furthermore, the expression of CS-E in MDM was increased 2 times following PMA treatment. An inactive phorbol ester, phorbol 12,13-diacetate, did not affect the expression of CS-E in either monocytes or MDM when compared with control cultures, suggesting that protein kinase C-dependent signal pathways may be involved in the regulation of sulfation of CSPG. Exposure to LPS or IFN-gamma did not lead to any changes in the sulfation of the chondroitin sulfate chains

  12. Results based on 124 cases of breast cancer and 97 controls from Taiwan suggest that the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP309) in the MDM2 gene promoter is associated with earlier onset and increased risk of breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Ying-Fang; Leu, Jyh-Der; Chen, Su-Mei; Lin, I-Feng; Lee, Yi-Jang

    2009-01-01

    It has been suggested that the single nucleotide polymorphism 309 (SNP309, T -> G) in the promoter region of the MDM2 gene is important for tumor development; however, with regards to breast cancer, inconsistent associations have been reported worldwide. It is speculated that these conflicting results may have arisen due to different patient subgroups and ethnicities studied. For the first time, this study explores the effect of the MDM2 SNP309 genotype on Taiwanese breast cancer patients. Genomic DNA was obtained from the whole blood of 124 breast cancer patients and 97 cancer-free healthy women living in Taiwan. MDM2 SNP309 genotyping was carried out by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay. The multivariate logistic regression and the Kaplan-Meier method were used for analyzing the risk association and significance of age at diagnosis among different MDM2 SNP309 genotypes, respectively. Compared to the TT genotype, an increased risk association with breast cancer was apparent for the GG genotype (OR = 3.05, 95% CI = 1.04 to 8.95), and for the TG genotype (OR = 2.12, 95% CI = 0.90 to 5.00) after adjusting for age, cardiovascular disease/diabetes, oral contraceptive usage, and body mass index, which exhibits significant difference between cases and controls. Furthermore, the average ages at diagnosis for breast cancer patients were 53.6, 52 and 47 years for those harboring TT, TG and GG genotypes, respectively. A significant difference in median age of onset for breast cancer between GG and TT+TG genotypes was obtained by the log-rank test (p = 0.0067). Findings based on the current sample size suggest that the MDM2 SNP309 GG genotype may be associated with both the risk of breast cancer and an earlier age of onset in Taiwanese women

  13. Acrolein preferentially damages nucleolus eliciting ribosomal stress and apoptosis in human cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hsiang-Tsui; Chen, Tzu-Ying; Weng, Ching-Wen; Yang, Chun-Hsiang; Tang, Moon-Shong

    2016-12-06

    Acrolein (Acr) is a potent cytotoxic and DNA damaging agent which is ubiquitous in the environment and abundant in tobacco smoke. Acr is also an active cytotoxic metabolite of the anti-cancer drugs cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide. The mechanisms via which Acr exerts its anti-cancer activity and cytotoxicity are not clear. In this study, we found that Acr induces cytotoxicity and cell death in human cancer cells with different activities of p53. Acr preferentially binds nucleolar ribosomal DNA (rDNA) to form Acr-deoxyguanosine adducts, and induces oxidative damage to both rDNA and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Acr triggers ribosomal stress responses, inhibits rRNA synthesis, reduces RNA polymerase I binding to the promoter of rRNA gene, disrupts nucleolar integrity, and impairs ribosome biogenesis and polysome formation. Acr causes an increase in MDM2 levels and phosphorylation of MDM2 in A549 and HeLa cells which are p53 active and p53 inactive, respectively. It enhances the binding of ribosomal protein RPL11 to MDM2 and reduces the binding of p53 and E2F-1 to MDM2 resulting in stabilization/activation of p53 in A549 cells and degradation of E2F-1 in A549 and HeLa cells. We propose that Acr induces ribosomal stress which leads to activation of MDM2 and RPL11-MDM2 binding, consequently, activates p53 and enhances E2F-1 degradation, and that taken together these two processes induce apoptosis and cell death.

  14. Characterization of Yellow Fever Virus Infection of Human and Non-human Primate Antigen Presenting Cells and Their Interaction with CD4+ T Cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Cong

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Humans infected with yellow fever virus (YFV, a mosquito-borne flavivirus, can develop illness ranging from a mild febrile disease to hemorrhagic fever and death. The 17D vaccine strain of YFV was developed in the 1930s, has been used continuously since development and has proven very effective. Genetic differences between vaccine and wild-type viruses are few, yet viral or host mechanisms associated with protection or disease are not fully understood. Over the past 20 years, a number of cases of vaccine-associated disease have been identified following vaccination with 17D; these cases have been correlated with reduced immune status at the time of vaccination. Recently, several studies have evaluated T cell responses to vaccination in both humans and non-human primates, but none have evaluated the response to wild-type virus infection. In the studies described here, monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM and dendritic cells (MoDC from both humans and rhesus macaques were evaluated for their ability to support infection with either wild-type Asibi virus or the 17D vaccine strain and the host cytokine and chemokine response characterized. Human MoDC and MDM were also evaluated for their ability to stimulate CD4+ T cells. It was found that MoDC and MDM supported viral replication and that there were differential cytokine responses to infection with either wild-type or vaccine viruses. Additionally, MoDCs infected with live 17D virus were able to stimulate IFN-γ and IL-2 production in CD4+ T cells, while cells infected with Asibi virus were not. These data demonstrate that wild-type and vaccine YFV stimulate different responses in target antigen presenting cells and that wild-type YFV can inhibit MoDC activation of CD4+ T cells, a critical component in development of protective immunity. These data provide initial, but critical insight into regulatory capabilities of wild-type YFV in development of disease.

  15. Markers aiding the diagnosis of chondroid tumors: an immunohistochemical study including osteonectin, bcl-2, cox-2, actin, calponin, D2-40 (podoplanin), mdm-2, CD117 (c-kit), and YKL-40

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Daugaard, Søren; Christensen, Lise H; Høgdall, Estrid

    2009-01-01

    (s) for the different subgroups. Archival material from three extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas, five chordomas, five chondromyxoid fibromas, five chondroblastomas and 25 chondrosarcomas was stained with antibodies against osteonectin, bcl-2, cox-2, actin, calponin, D2-40 (podoplanin), mdm-2, CD117 (c-kit) and YKL......-40. All 25 chondrosarcomas showed a positive staining reaction for D2-40, none for actin and CD117, and a partial reactivity for bcl-2 (36%). Chondroblastomas (5/5) and chondromyxoid fibromas (2/5) were the only tumors with a positive reaction for actin, and all chondroblastomas (n=5...... chondrosarcomas. A convincing immunoreactivity for calponin and/or actin in chondromyxoid fibromas and chondroblastomas may also be helpful in differentiating these tumors from chondrosarcomas....

  16. Interaction of Coxiella burnetii Strains of Different Sources and Genotypes with Bovine and Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katharina Sobotta

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Most human Q fever infections originate from small ruminants. By contrast, highly prevalent shedding of Coxiella (C. burnetii by bovine milk rarely results in human disease. We hypothesized that primary bovine and human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM represent a suitable in vitro model for the identification of strain-specific virulence properties at the cellular level. Twelve different C. burnetii strains were selected to represent different host species and multiple loci variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA genotypes. Infection efficiency and replication of C. burnetii were monitored by cell culture re-titration and qPCR. Expression of immunoregulatory factors after MDM infection was measured by qRT-PCR and flow cytometry. Invasion, replication and MDM response differed between C. burnetii strains but not between MDMs of the two hosts. Strains isolated from ruminants were less well internalized than isolates from humans and rodents. Internalization of MLVA group I strains was lower compared to other genogroups. Replication efficacy of C. burnetii in MDM ranged from low (MLVA group III to high (MLVA group IV. Infected human and bovine MDM responded with a principal up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-12, and TNF-α. However, MLVA group IV strains induced a pronounced host response whereas infection with group I strains resulted in a milder response. C. burnetii infection marginally affected polarization of MDM. Only one C. burnetii strain of MLVA group IV caused a substantial up-regulation of activation markers (CD40, CD80 on the surface of bovine and human MDM. The study showed that replication of C. burnetii in MDM and the subsequent host cell response is genotype-specific rather than being determined by the host species pointing to a clear distinction in C. burnetii virulence between the genetic groups.

  17. Hardware Acceleration of SQL-Queries Processing in MDM-Systems Based on MISDSolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. E. Podol'skii

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In this article we examine the possibility of hardware support for functions of mobile device management platform (MDM-platform using a Multiple Instructions and Single Data stream computer system, developed within the framework of the project in Bauman Moscow State Technical University. At the universities the MDM-platform is used to provide various mobile services for the faculty, students and administration to facilitate the learning process: a mobile schedule, document sharing, text messages, and other interactive activities. Most of these services are provided by the extensive use of data stored in MDM-platform databases. When accessing the databases SQL- queries are commonly used. These queries comprise operators of SQL-language that are based on mathematical sets theory. Hardware support for operations on sets is implemented in Multiple Instructions and Single Data stream computer system (MISD System. This allows performance improvement of algorithms and operations on sets. Thus, the hardware support for the processing of SQL-queries in MISD system allows us to benefit from the implementation of SQL-queries in the MISD paradigm.The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that it is the first time a set of algorithms for basic SQL statements has been presented in a format supported by MISD system. In addition, for the first time operators INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN and LEFT OUTER JOIN have been implemented for MISD system and tested for it (testing was done for FPGA Xilinx Virtex-II Pro XC2VP30 implementation of MISD system. The practical significance of the work lies in the fact that the results of the study will be used in the project "Development of the Russian analogue of the system software for centralized management of personal devices and platforms in enterprise networks" of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (with the financial support of the state represented by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian

  18. 40Gbit/s MDM-WDM Laguerre-Gaussian Mode with Equalization for Multimode Fiber in Access Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fazea, Yousef; Amphawan, Angela

    2018-04-01

    Modal dispersion is seen as the primary impairment for multimode fiber. Mode division multiplexing (MDM) is a promising technology that has been realized as a favorable technology for considerably upsurges the capacity and distance of multimode fiber in conjunction with Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) for fiber-to-the-home. This paper reveals the importance of an equalization technique in conjunction with controlling the modes spacing of mode division multiplexing-wavelength division multiplexing of Laguerre-Gaussian modes to alleviate modal dispersion for multimode fiber. The effects of channel spacing of 20 channels MDM-WDM were examined through controlling the azimuthal mode number and the radial mode number of Laguerre-Gaussian modes. A data rate of 40Gbit/s was achieved for a distance of 1,500 m for MDM-WDM.

  19. Digital expression profiling identifies RUNX2, CDC5L, MDM2, RECQL4, and CDK4 as potential predictive biomarkers for neo-adjuvant chemotherapy response in paediatric osteosarcoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeffrey W Martin

    Full Text Available Osteosarcoma is the most common malignancy of bone, and occurs most frequently in children and adolescents. Currently, the most reliable technique for determining a patients' prognosis is measurement of histopathologic tumor necrosis following pre-operative neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Unfavourable prognosis is indicated by less than 90% estimated necrosis of the tumor. Neither genetic testing nor molecular biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis have been described for osteosarcomas. We used the novel nanoString mRNA digital expression analysis system to analyse gene expression in 32 patients with sporadic paediatric osteosarcoma. This system used specific molecular barcodes to quantify expression of a set of 17 genes associated with osteosarcoma tumorigenesis. Five genes, from this panel, which encoded the bone differentiation regulator RUNX2, the cell cycle regulator CDC5L, the TP53 transcriptional inactivator MDM2, the DNA helicase RECQL4, and the cyclin-dependent kinase gene CDK4, were differentially expressed in tumors that responded poorly to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Analysis of the signalling relationships of these genes, as well as other expression markers of osteosarcoma, indicated that gene networks linked to RB1, TP53, PI3K, PTEN/Akt, myc and RECQL4 are associated with osteosarcoma. The discovery of these networks provides a basis for further experimental studies of role of the five genes (RUNX2, CDC5L, MDM2, RECQL4, and CDK4 in differential response to chemotherapy.

  20. Nrf2-dependent induction of innate host defense via heme oxygenase-1 inhibits Zika virus replication

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Hanxia; Falgout, Barry; Takeda, Kazuyo [Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD (United States); Yamada, Kenneth M. [National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (United States); Dhawan, Subhash, E-mail: subhash.dhawan@fda.hhs.gov [Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD (United States)

    2017-03-15

    We identified primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) as vulnerable target cells for Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. We demonstrate dramatic effects of hemin, the natural inducer of the heme catabolic enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), in the reduction of ZIKV replication in vitro. Both LLC-MK2 monkey kidney cells and primary MDM exhibited hemin-induced HO-1 expression with major reductions of >90% in ZIKV replication, with little toxicity to infected cells. Silencing expression of HO-1 or its upstream regulatory gene, nuclear factor erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2), attenuated hemin-induced suppression of ZIKV infection, suggesting an important role for induction of these intracellular mediators in retarding ZIKV replication. The inverse correlation between hemin-induced HO-1 levels and ZIKV replication provides a potentially useful therapeutic modality based on stimulation of an innate cellular response against Zika virus infection. - Highlights: •Hemin treatment protected monocyte-derived macrophages against Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. •Innate cellular protection against ZIKV infection correlated with Nrf2-dependent HO-1 expression. •Stimulation of innate cellular responses may provide a therapeutic strategy against ZIKV infection.

  1. Nrf2-dependent induction of innate host defense via heme oxygenase-1 inhibits Zika virus replication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Hanxia; Falgout, Barry; Takeda, Kazuyo; Yamada, Kenneth M.; Dhawan, Subhash

    2017-01-01

    We identified primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) as vulnerable target cells for Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. We demonstrate dramatic effects of hemin, the natural inducer of the heme catabolic enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), in the reduction of ZIKV replication in vitro. Both LLC-MK2 monkey kidney cells and primary MDM exhibited hemin-induced HO-1 expression with major reductions of >90% in ZIKV replication, with little toxicity to infected cells. Silencing expression of HO-1 or its upstream regulatory gene, nuclear factor erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2), attenuated hemin-induced suppression of ZIKV infection, suggesting an important role for induction of these intracellular mediators in retarding ZIKV replication. The inverse correlation between hemin-induced HO-1 levels and ZIKV replication provides a potentially useful therapeutic modality based on stimulation of an innate cellular response against Zika virus infection. - Highlights: •Hemin treatment protected monocyte-derived macrophages against Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. •Innate cellular protection against ZIKV infection correlated with Nrf2-dependent HO-1 expression. •Stimulation of innate cellular responses may provide a therapeutic strategy against ZIKV infection.

  2. Disruption of the 5S RNP-Mdm2 interaction significantly improves the erythroid defect in a mouse model for Diamond-Blackfan anemia.

    OpenAIRE

    Jaako, Pekka; Debnath, Shubhranshu; Olsson, Karin; Zhang, Y; Flygare, Johan; Lindström, M S; Bryder, David; Karlsson, Stefan

    2015-01-01

    Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) is a congenital erythroid hypoplasia caused by haploinsufficiency of genes encoding ribosomal proteins (RPs). Perturbed ribosome biogenesis in DBA has been shown to induce a p53-mediated ribosomal stress response. However, the mechanisms of p53 activation and its relevance for the erythroid defect remain elusive. Previous studies have indicated that activation of p53 is caused by the inhibition of Mdm2, the main negative regulator of p53, by the 5S ribonucleoprot...

  3. Upgrade of the TAMU MDM-focal plane detector with MicroMegas technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Spiridon, A., E-mail: aspiridon@comp.tamu.edu [Cyclotron Institute, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Pollacco, E. [IRFU, CEA Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Roeder, B.T.; Saastamoinen, A.; Chyzh, R.; Dag, M.; Tribble, R.E. [Cyclotron Institute, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Trache, L.; Pascovici, G. [National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Bucharest-Magurele RO-077125 (Romania); De Oliveira, R. [CERN, Geneva (Switzerland)

    2016-06-01

    A gridded ionization chamber used as a focal plane detector at the back of the TAMU-MDM spectrometer was modified to use MicroMegas technology for the purpose of improving energy resolution and particle identification. The upgraded system was tested in experimental conditions with several heavy-ion beams at 12 MeV/u and found to achieve resolutions between 3.2% and 4.8%. This is a significant improvement over the previous performance of 10–15% obtained using the existing, conventional ionization chambers.

  4. Upgrade of the TAMU MDM-focal plane detector with MicroMegas technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spiridon, A.; Pollacco, E.; Roeder, B.T.; Saastamoinen, A.; Chyzh, R.; Dag, M.; Tribble, R.E.; Trache, L.; Pascovici, G.; De Oliveira, R.

    2016-01-01

    A gridded ionization chamber used as a focal plane detector at the back of the TAMU-MDM spectrometer was modified to use MicroMegas technology for the purpose of improving energy resolution and particle identification. The upgraded system was tested in experimental conditions with several heavy-ion beams at 12 MeV/u and found to achieve resolutions between 3.2% and 4.8%. This is a significant improvement over the previous performance of 10–15% obtained using the existing, conventional ionization chambers.

  5. Study on Association between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Murine Double Minute 2 and Susceptibility of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xia Wang

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP in murine double minute 2 (MDM2 and susceptibility and biological behavior of hepatocellularcarcinoma (HCC. Methods: MDM2 (rs2279744 site polymorphism in peripheral blood from 166 patients with HCC and 157 healthy controls were detected by SYBR GREEN PCR method and the relationship between MDM2 polymorphism and susceptibility and biological behavior of HCC was analyzed by comparing the differences of genotypes in two populations. Results: There was no statistical significance between two groups in terms of MDM2 allele distribution in research population (P = 0.753. The risk of HCC onset in individuals with GG+ TG genotype was 1.698 times of those with TT genotype in case group (95%CI = 1.027 -2.808. MDM2 SNP was associated with HBV infection and the degree of tumor differentiation (P< 0.05. The incidence of alleles in experimental group (T, 0.49; G, 0.51 was very different from that in control group (T, 0.59; G, 0.41 (P = 0.015. The incidence of GG genotype in patients with HCC (22.29% was significantly higher than those without HCC (13.38%. Compared with TT genotype, G allele or GG genotype had more correlation with HCC onset. Conclusion: Compared with TT genotype, MDM2 promoter SNP309 G allele or GG genotype is more associated with HCC onset in Chinese population.

  6. [Clinical signification of a modified dilution method (MDM) for blood loss assessment in the cases of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geogiev, G; Shishenkov, M; Ninov, B; Dosheva, I

    2006-01-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the modified dilution method (MDM) for in vivo bloodless assessment with the accepted in the clinical practice methods. We measured 148 blood samples from 134 patients with nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NUGB) and 21 blood samples from healthy persons as a negative control. In the randomized group of 53 patients with NUGB we compared accuracy of the blood loss determination by means of erythrocyte mass loss (estimated with MDM), Allgower-Burri index and American College of Surgeon Index (ACSI). The obtained results give us a reason to recommend a combination between American College of Surgeon classification for blood loss in patients with NUGB and a parallel measurement of the MDM values.

  7. Expression of integrin α3β1 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) are positively correlated in human breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aggarwal, Anshu; Al-Rohil, Rami N; Batra, Anupam; Feustel, Paul J; Jones, David M; DiPersio, C Michael

    2014-01-01

    Expression of integrin α3β1 is associated with tumor progression, metastasis, and poor prognosis in several cancers, including breast cancer. Moreover, preclinical studies have revealed important pro-tumorigenic and pro-metastatic functions for this integrin, including tumor growth, survival, invasion, and paracrine induction of angiogenesis. Our previously published work in a preclinical breast cancer model showed that integrin α3β1 promotes expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2/PTGS2), a known driver of breast cancer progression. However, the clinical significance of this regulation was unknown. The objective of the current study was to assess the clinical relevance of the relationship between integrin α3β1 and COX2 by testing for their correlated expression among various forms of human breast cancer. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess co-expression of α3 and COX2 in specimens of human invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), either on a commercial tissue microarray (n = 59 samples) or obtained from Albany Medical Center archives (n = 68 samples). Immunostaining intensity for the integrin α3 subunit or COX2 was scored, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient analysis was performed to assess their co-expression across and within different tumor subtypes or clinicopathologic criteria. Although expression of integrin α3 or COX2 varied among clinical IDC samples, a statistically significant, positive correlation was detected between α3 and COX2 in both tissue microarrays (r s = 0.49, p < 0.001, n = 59) and archived samples (r s = 0.59, p < 0.0001, n = 68). In both sample sets, this correlation was independent of hormone receptor status, histological grade, or disease stage. COX2 and α3 are correlated in IDC independently of hormone receptor status or other clinicopathologic features, supporting the hypothesis that integrin α3β1 is a determinant of COX2 expression in human breast cancer. These results support the clinical relevance of α3β1

  8. MDM2 gene SNP309 T/G and p53 gene SNP72 G/C do not influence diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma onset or survival in central European Caucasians

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Landt Olfert

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background SNP309 T/G (rs2279744 causes higher levels of MDM2, the most important negative regulator of the p53 tumor suppressor. SNP72 G/C (rs1042522 gives rise to a p53 protein with a greatly reduced capacity to induce apoptosis. Both polymorphisms have been implicated in cancer. The SNP309 G-allele has recently been reported to accelerate diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL formation in pre-menopausal women and suggested to constitute a genetic basis for estrogen affecting human tumorigenesis. Here we asked whether SNP309 and SNP72 are associated with DLBCL in women and are correlated with age of onset, diagnosis, or patient's survival. Methods SNP309 and SNP72 were PCR-genotyped in a case-control study that included 512 controls and 311 patients diagnosed with aggressive NHL. Of these, 205 were diagnosed with DLBCL. Results The age of onset was similar in men and women. The control and patients group showed similar SNP309 and SNP72 genotype frequencies. Importantly and in contrast to the previous findings, similar genotype frequencies were observed in female patients diagnosed by 51 years of age and those diagnosed later. Specifically, 3/20 female DLBCL patients diagnosed by 51 years of age were homozygous for SNP309 G and 2/20 DLBCL females in that age group were homozygous for SNP72 C. Neither SNP309 nor SNP72 had a significant influence on event-free and overall survival in multivariate analyses. Conclusion In contrast to the previous study on Ashkenazi Jewish Caucasians, DLBCL in pre-menopausal women of central European Caucasian ethnicity was not associated with SNP309 G. Neither SNP309 nor SNP72 seem to be correlated with age of onset, diagnosis, or survival of patients.

  9. Viral infection of human lung macrophages increases PDL1 expression via IFNβ.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karl J Staples

    Full Text Available Lung macrophages are an important defence against respiratory viral infection and recent work has demonstrated that influenza-induced macrophage PDL1 expression in the murine lung leads to rapid modulation of CD8+ T cell responses via the PD1 receptor. This PD1/PDL1 pathway may downregulate acute inflammatory responses to prevent tissue damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of PDL1 regulation by human macrophages in response to viral infection. Ex-vivo viral infection models using influenza and RSV were established in human lung explants, isolated lung macrophages and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM and analysed by flow cytometry and RT-PCR. Incubation of lung explants, lung macrophages and MDM with X31 resulted in mean cellular infection rates of 18%, 18% and 29% respectively. Viral infection significantly increased cell surface expression of PDL1 on explant macrophages, lung macrophages and MDM but not explant epithelial cells. Infected MDM induced IFNγ release from autologous CD8+ T cells, an effect enhanced by PDL1 blockade. We observed increases in PDL1 mRNA and IFNβ mRNA and protein release by MDM in response to influenza infection. Knockdown of IFNβ by siRNA, resulted in a 37.5% reduction in IFNβ gene expression in response to infection, and a significant decrease in PDL1 mRNA. Furthermore, when MDM were incubated with IFNβ, this cytokine caused increased expression of PDL1 mRNA. These data indicate that human macrophage PDL1 expression modulates CD8+ cell IFNγ release in response to virus and that this expression is regulated by autologous IFNβ production.

  10. Cross-correlation of weak lensing and gamma rays: implications for the nature of dark matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tröster, Tilman; Camera, Stefano; Fornasa, Mattia; Regis, Marco; van Waerbeke, Ludovic; Harnois-Déraps, Joachim; Ando, Shin'ichiro; Bilicki, Maciej; Erben, Thomas; Fornengo, Nicolao; Heymans, Catherine; Hildebrandt, Hendrik; Hoekstra, Henk; Kuijken, Konrad; Viola, Massimo

    2017-05-01

    We measure the cross-correlation between Fermi gamma-ray photons and over 1000 deg2 of weak lensing data from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Lensing Survey (CFHTLenS), the Red Cluster Sequence Lensing Survey (RCSLenS), and the Kilo Degree Survey (KiDS). We present the first measurement of tomographic weak lensing cross-correlations and the first application of spectral binning to cross-correlations between gamma rays and weak lensing. The measurements are performed using an angular power spectrum estimator while the covariance is estimated using an analytical prescription. We verify the accuracy of our covariance estimate by comparing it to two internal covariance estimators. Based on the non-detection of a cross-correlation signal, we derive constraints on weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter. We compute exclusion limits on the dark matter annihilation cross-section , decay rate Γdec and particle mass mDM. We find that in the absence of a cross-correlation signal, tomography does not significantly improve the constraining power of the analysis. Assuming a strong contribution to the gamma-ray flux due to small-scale clustering of dark matter and accounting for known astrophysical sources of gamma rays, we exclude the thermal relic cross-section for particle masses of mDM ≲ 20 GeV.

  11. Ibrutinib synergizes with MDM-2 inhibitors in promoting cytotoxicity in B chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voltan, Rebecca; Rimondi, Erika; Melloni, Elisabetta; Rigolin, Gian Matteo; Casciano, Fabio; Arcidiacono, Maria Vittoria; Celeghini, Claudio; Cuneo, Antonio; Zauli, Giorgio; Secchiero, Paola

    2016-10-25

    The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-leukemic activity of the Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor Ibrutinib in combination with the small molecule MDM-2 inhibitor Nutlin-3 in preclinical models. The potential efficacy of the Ibrutinib/Nutlin-3 combination was evaluated in vitro in a panel of B leukemic cell lines (EHEB, JVM-2, JVM-3, MEC-1, MEC-2) and in primary B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) patient samples, by assessing cell viability, cell cycle profile, apoptosis and intracellular pathway modulations. Validation of the combination therapy was assessed in a B leukemic xenograft mouse model. Ibrutinib exhibited variable anti-leukemic activity in vitro and the combination with Nutlin-3 synergistically enhanced the induction of apoptosis independently from the p53 status. Indeed, the Ibrutinib/Nutlin-3 combination was effective in promoting cytotoxicity also in primary B-CLL samples carrying 17p13 deletion and/or TP53 mutations, already in therapy with Ibrutinib. Molecular analyses performed on both B-leukemic cell lines as well as on primary B-CLL samples, while confirming the switch-off of the MAPK and PI3K pro-survival pathways by Ibrutinib, indicated that the synergism of action with Nutlin-3 was independent by p53 pathway and was accompanied by the activation of the DNA damage cascade signaling through the phosphorylation of the histone protein H2A.X. This observation was confirmed also in the JVM-2 B leukemic xenograft mouse model. Taken together, our data emphasize that the Ibrutinib/Nutlin-3 combination merits to be further evaluated as a therapeutic option for B-CLL.

  12. Transcriptional Repression and Protein Degradation of the Ca2+-Activated K+ Channel KCa1.1 by Androgen Receptor Inhibition in Human Breast Cancer Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anowara Khatun

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel KCa1.1 plays an important role in the promotion of breast cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. The androgen receptor (AR is proposed as a therapeutic target for AR-positive advanced triple-negative breast cancer. We herein investigated the effects of a treatment with antiandrogens on the functional activity, activation kinetics, transcriptional expression, and protein degradation of KCa1.1 in human breast cancer MDA-MB-453 cells using real-time PCR, Western blotting, voltage-sensitive dye imaging, and whole-cell patch clamp recording. A treatment with the antiandrogen bicalutamide or enzalutamide for 48 h significantly suppressed (1 depolarization responses induced by paxilline (PAX, a specific KCa1.1 blocker and (2 PAX-sensitive outward currents induced by the depolarizing voltage step. The expression levels of KCa1.1 transcripts and proteins were significantly decreased in MDA-MB-453 cells, and the protein degradation of KCa1.1 mainly contributed to reductions in KCa1.1 activity. Among the eight regulatory β and γ subunits, LRRC26 alone was expressed at high levels in MDA-MB-453 cells and primary and metastatic breast cancer tissues, whereas no significant changes were observed in the expression levels of LRRC26 and activation kinetics of PAX-sensitive outward currents in MDA-MB-453 cells by the treatment with antiandrogens. The treatment with antiandrogens up-regulated the expression of the ubiquitin E3 ligases, FBW7, MDM2, and MDM4 in MDA-MB-453 cells, and the protein degradation of KCa1.1 was significantly inhibited by the respective siRNA-mediated blockade of FBW7 and MDM2. Based on these results, we concluded that KCa1.1 is an androgen-responsive gene in AR-positive breast cancer cells, and its down-regulation through enhancements in its protein degradation by FBW7 and/or MDM2 may contribute, at least in part, to the antiproliferative and antimetastatic effects of antiandrogens in

  13. E2/ER β Enhances Calcineurin Protein Degradation and PI3K/Akt/MDM2 Signal Transduction to Inhibit ISO-Induced Myocardial Cell Apoptosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuan-Ho Lin

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Secretion of multifunctional estrogen and its receptor has been widely considered as the reason for markedly higher frequency of heart disease in men than in women. 17β-Estradiol (E2, for instance, has been reported to prevent development of cardiac apoptosis via activation of estrogen receptors (ERs. In addition, protein phosphatase such as protein phosphatase 1 (PP1 and calcineurin (PP2B are also involved in cardiac hypertrophy and cell apoptosis signaling. However, the mechanism by which E2/ERβ suppresses apoptosis is not fully understood, and the role of protein phosphatase in E2/ERβ action also needs further investigation. In this study, we observed that E2/ERβ inhibited isoproterenol (ISO-induced myocardial cell apoptosis, cytochrome c release and downstream apoptotic markers. Moreover, we found that E2/ERβ blocks ISO-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cells through the enhancement of calcineurin protein degradation through PI3K/Akt/MDM2 signaling pathway. Our results suggest that supplementation with estrogen and/or overexpression of estrogen receptor β gene may prove to be effective means to treat stress-induced myocardial damage.

  14. Preliminary characterization of an expanding flow of siloxane vapor MDM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spinelli, A.; Cozzi, F.; Cammi, G.; Zocca, M.; Gaetani, P.; Dossena, V.; Guardone, A.

    2017-03-01

    The early experimental results on the characterization of expanding flows of siloxane vapor MDM (C8H24O2Si3, octamethyltrisiloxane) are presented. The measurements were performed on the Test Rig for Organic VApors (TROVA) at the CREA Laboratory of Politecnico di Milano. The TROVA test-rig was built in order to investigate the non-ideal compressible-fluid behavior of typical expanding flows occurring within organic Rankine cycles (ORC) turbine passages. The test rig implements a batch Rankine cycle where a planar converging-diverging nozzle replaces the turbine and represents a test section. Investigations related to both fields of non-ideal compressible-fluid dynamics fundamentals and turbomachinery are allowed. The nozzle can be operated with different working fluids and operating conditions aiming at measuring independently the pressure, the temperature and the velocity field and thus providing data to verify the thermo-fluid dynamic models adopted to predict the behavior of these flows. The limiting values of pressure and temperature are 50 bar and 400 °C respectively. The early measurements are performed along the nozzle axis, where an isentropic process is expected to occur. In particular, the results reported here refer to the nozzle operated in adapted conditions using the siloxane vapor MDM as working fluid in thermodynamic regions where mild to medium non-ideal compressible-fluid effects are present. Both total temperature and total pressure of the nozzle are measured upstream of the test section, while static pressure are measured along the nozzle axis. Schlieren visualizations are also carried out in order to complement the pressure measurement with information about the 2D density gradient field. The Laser Doppler Velocimetry technique is planned to be used in the future for velocity measurements. The measured flow field has also been interpreted by resorting to the quasi-one-dimensional theory and two dimensional CFD viscous calculation. In both cases

  15. Optimization of AMI-MDM-RoFSO under atmospheric turbulence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chaudhary Sushank

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Radio over Free Space (Ro-FSO is promising candidate for providing ubiquitous digital services especially in rural areas. This work investigates the performance of MDM of two 5Gbps-10GHz data channels over FSO link using LP 01 and LP 02 modes under the effect of atmospheric turbulences. The signal to noise ratio (SNR, total received power, modal decomposition at receiver at the receiver is also reported. The reported result shows the successful transmission of two channels with acceptable SNR over FSO link under atmospheric turbulences.

  16. Using DSM and MDM Methodologies to Analyze Structural SysML Models

    OpenAIRE

    Maisenbacher, S.;Kernschmidt, Konstantin;Kasperek, Daniel;Vogel-Heuser, B.;Maurer, M.

    2014-01-01

    Matrices and graph-based representations are commonly used visual models of system structures. Depending on the objective of the observer, both representations offer different opportunities and advantages. A standardized graph-based modeling language is SysML, while the design structure matrix (DSM) and the multiple domain matrix (MDM) are typical matrices used during the development of complex systems. Although both modeling techniques are wide spread, up to now they are hardly used conjoint...

  17. Cluster Correlation in Mixed Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gardini, A.; Bonometto, S. A.; Murante, G.; Yepes, G.

    2000-10-01

    We evaluate the dependence of the cluster correlation length, rc, on the mean intercluster separation, Dc, for three models with critical matter density, vanishing vacuum energy (Λ=0), and COBE normalization: a tilted cold dark matter (tCDM) model (n=0.8) and two blue mixed models with two light massive neutrinos, yielding Ωh=0.26 and 0.14 (MDM1 and MDM2, respectively). All models approach the observational value of σ8 (and hence the observed cluster abundance) and are consistent with the observed abundance of damped Lyα systems. Mixed models have a motivation in recent results of neutrino physics; they also agree with the observed value of the ratio σ8/σ25, yielding the spectral slope parameter Γ, and nicely fit Las Campanas Redshift Survey (LCRS) reconstructed spectra. We use parallel AP3M simulations, performed in a wide box (of side 360 h-1 Mpc) and with high mass and distance resolution, enabling us to build artificial samples of clusters, whose total number and mass range allow us to cover the same Dc interval inspected through Automatic Plate Measuring Facility (APM) and Abell cluster clustering data. We find that the tCDM model performs substantially better than n=1 critical density CDM models. Our main finding, however, is that mixed models provide a surprisingly good fit to cluster clustering data.

  18. Correlation between oral drug absorption in humans and apparent drug permeability coefficients in human intestinal epithelial (Caco-2) cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Artursson, P.; Karlsson, J.

    1991-01-01

    Monolayers of a well differentiated human intestinal epithelial cell line, Caco-2, were used as a model to study passive drug absorption across the intestinal epithelium. Absorption rate constants (expressed as apparent permeability coefficients) were determined for 20 drugs and peptides with different structural properties. The permeability coefficients ranged from approximately 5 x 10 - 8 to 5 x 10 - 5 cm/s. A good correlation was obtained between data on oral absorption in humans and the results in the Caco-2 model. Drugs that are completely absorbed in humans had permeability coefficients greater than 1 x 10 - 6 cm/s. Drugs that are absorbed to greater than 1% but less than 100% had permeability coefficients of 0.1-1.0 x 10 - 6 cm/s while drugs and peptides that are absorbed to less than 1% had permeability coefficients of less than or equal to 1 x 10 - 7 cm/s. The results indicate that Caco-2 monolayers can be used as a model for studies on intestinal drug absorption

  19. Correlation between a 2D channelized Hotelling observer and human observers in a low-contrast detection task with multislice reading in CT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Lifeng; Chen, Baiyu; Kofler, James M; Favazza, Christopher P; Leng, Shuai; Kupinski, Matthew A; McCollough, Cynthia H

    2017-08-01

    Model observers have been successfully developed and used to assess the quality of static 2D CT images. However, radiologists typically read images by paging through multiple 2D slices (i.e., multislice reading). The purpose of this study was to correlate human and model observer performance in a low-contrast detection task performed using both 2D and multislice reading, and to determine if the 2D model observer still correlate well with human observer performance in multislice reading. A phantom containing 18 low-contrast spheres (6 sizes × 3 contrast levels) was scanned on a 192-slice CT scanner at five dose levels (CTDI vol = 27, 13.5, 6.8, 3.4, and 1.7 mGy), each repeated 100 times. Images were reconstructed using both filtered-backprojection (FBP) and an iterative reconstruction (IR) method (ADMIRE, Siemens). A 3D volume of interest (VOI) around each sphere was extracted and placed side-by-side with a signal-absent VOI to create a 2-alternative forced choice (2AFC) trial. Sixteen 2AFC studies were generated, each with 100 trials, to evaluate the impact of radiation dose, lesion size and contrast, and reconstruction methods on object detection. In total, 1600 trials were presented to both model and human observers. Three medical physicists acted as human observers and were allowed to page through the 3D volumes to make a decision for each 2AFC trial. The human observer performance was compared with the performance of a multislice channelized Hotelling observer (CHO_MS), which integrates multislice image data, and with the performance of previously validated CHO, which operates on static 2D images (CHO_2D). For comparison, the same 16 2AFC studies were also performed in a 2D viewing mode by the human observers and compared with the multislice viewing performance and the two CHO models. Human observer performance was well correlated with the CHO_2D performance in the 2D viewing mode [Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient R = 0.972, 95% confidence

  20. Correlation between PFGE Groups and mrp/epf/sly Genotypes of Human Streptococcus suis Serotype 2 in Northern Thailand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prasit Tharavichitkul

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Streptococcus suis infection is a severe zoonotic disease commonly found in Northern Thailand where people often consume raw pork and/or pig’s blood. The most frequent clinical presentations are meningitis, sepsis, and endocarditis with higher rate of mortality and hearing loss sequelae. To clarify the correlation between pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE groups and mrp/epf/sly genotypes of S. suis serotype 2, 62 patient and 4 healthy pig isolates from Northern Thailand were studied. By PFGE analysis, at 66% homology, most human isolates (69.4% and 1 pig isolate were in group A, whereas 14.5% of human isolates and 3 out of 4 pig isolates were in group D. According to mrp/epf/sly genotypes, 80.6% of human isolates were identified in mrp+epf−sly− and only 12.9% were in mrp−epf−sly+ genotypes; in contrast, 1 and 3 pig isolates were detected in these two genotypes, respectively. Interestingly, all isolates of S. suis serotype 2 classified in PFGE groups A, B, and E were set in mrp+epf−sly− genotypes. These data show a close correlation between PFGE groups and mrp/epf/sly genotypes of human S. suis serotype 2.

  1. Correlation between PFGE Groups and mrp/epf/sly Genotypes of Human Streptococcus suis Serotype 2 in Northern Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tharavichitkul, Prasit; Wongsawan, Kanreuthai; Takenami, Naoki; Pruksakorn, Sumalee; Fongcom, Achara; Gottschalk, Marcelo; Khanthawa, Banyong; Supajatura, Volaluk; Takai, Shinji

    2014-01-01

    Streptococcus suis infection is a severe zoonotic disease commonly found in Northern Thailand where people often consume raw pork and/or pig's blood. The most frequent clinical presentations are meningitis, sepsis, and endocarditis with higher rate of mortality and hearing loss sequelae. To clarify the correlation between pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) groups and mrp/epf/sly genotypes of S. suis serotype 2, 62 patient and 4 healthy pig isolates from Northern Thailand were studied. By PFGE analysis, at 66% homology, most human isolates (69.4%) and 1 pig isolate were in group A, whereas 14.5% of human isolates and 3 out of 4 pig isolates were in group D. According to mrp/epf/sly genotypes, 80.6% of human isolates were identified in mrp (+) epf (-) sly (-) and only 12.9% were in mrp (-) epf (-) sly (+) genotypes; in contrast, 1 and 3 pig isolates were detected in these two genotypes, respectively. Interestingly, all isolates of S. suis serotype 2 classified in PFGE groups A, B, and E were set in mrp (+) epf (-) sly (-) genotypes. These data show a close correlation between PFGE groups and mrp/epf/sly genotypes of human S. suis serotype 2.

  2. GÉANT PERFsonar MDM-Based Circuit Monitoring in a Multidomain Environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kleist, Josva; Yu, Hao; Dittmann, Lars

    2014-01-01

    Global research collaborations today require reliable and secure dedicated network connections to facilitate data communications between collaborating partners. To deal with the deluge of data, dedicated connections are needed to transport data in a highly efficient manner. Managing such links......, which often cross multiple administrative domains with heterogeneous infrastructure, poses many compelling research challenges, one of which is interdomain network monitoring. In this article, a multidomain circuit monitoring system, CMon, is introduced. Using some services of GÉANT perfSONAR MDM, CMon...

  3. Suppression of p53 by Notch3 is mediated by Cyclin G1 and sustained by MDM2 and miR-221 axis in hepatocellular carcinoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baglioni, Michele; Fornari, Francesca; Giannone, Ferdinando; Ravaioli, Matteo; Cescon, Matteo; Chieco, Pasquale; Bolondi, Luigi; Gramantieri, Laura

    2014-01-01

    To successfully target Notch receptors as part of a multidrug anticancer strategy, it will be essential to fully characterize the factors that are modulated by Notch signaling. We recently reported that Notch3 silencing in HCC results in p53 up-regulation in vitro and, therefore, we focused on the mechanisms that associate Notch3 to p53 protein expression. We explored the regulation of p53 by Notch3 signalling in three HCC cell lines HepG2, SNU398 and Hep3B.We found that Notch3 regulates p53 at post-transcriptional level controlling both Cyclin G1 expression and the feed-forward circuit involving p53, miR-221 and MDM2. Moreover, our results were validated in human HCCs and in a rat model of HCC treated with Notch3 siRNAs. Our findings are becoming an exciting area for further in-depth research toward targeted inactivation of Notch3 receptor as a novel therapeutic approach for increasing the drug-sensitivity, and thereby improving the treatment outcome of patients affected by HCC. Indeed, we proved that Notch3 silencing strongly increases the effects of Nutilin-3. With regard to therapeutic implications, Notch3-specific drugs could represent a valuable strategy to limit Notch signaling in the context of hepatocellular carcinoma over-expressing this receptor. PMID:25431954

  4. Profil Ekspresi mRNA Gen Murine Double Minute2, Kruppel-Like Factor4, dan c-Myc pada Fibrosarkoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    - Humaryanto

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstrak Fibrosarkoma hanya terjadi 1–3% dari seluruh keganasan jaringan lunak. Hingga saat ini etiologi fibrosarkoma belum diketahui dengan pasti. Beberapa faktor dapat menjadi penyebab patogenesis fibrosarkoma antara lain radiasi, terpapar zat kimia tertentu, serta infeksi human herpes virus 8 (HHV8 dan Epstein-Barr virus (EBV. Penelitian terkini menunjukkan bahwa banyak sarkoma terkait dengan mutasi genetik. Penelitian ini bertujuan melihat profil ekspresi mRNA gen Krüppel-like Factor4, Murine Double Minute2, dan c-Myc pada fibrosarkoma menggunakan teknik real time PCR kuantitatif (quantitative real time PCR, qRT-PCR. Analisis data menggunakan metode kuantititatif relatif 2-ΔΔCt. Penelitian ini menggunakan 10 sampel kasus fibrosarkoma yang ditemukan di Kota Jambi dari tahun 2011–2015. Hasil ΔCt (+SD MDM2, KLF-4, dan c-Myc disusun dari nilai yang terkecil hingga tertinggi adalah 1,85±2,14; 2,06±3,86; 2,9±2,66 secara berurutan. Dibanding dengan level ekspresi dengan GAPDH sebagai housekeeping gene, gen MDM2 dan KLF-4 relatif menurun dua kali lipat, sedangkan gen c-Myc relatif menurun lebih dari tiga kali lipat. Simpulan, penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa pada kasus fibrosarkoma, gen c-Myc disupresi lebih kuat dibanding dengan gen MDM2 dan KLF-4. Abstract Fibrosarcoma is a rare soft tissue sarcoma, reported only 1–3% of all soft tissue sarcomas. Like any other soft-tissue sarcomas the definitive caused has not yet understood. Recognized causes include exposure to ionizing radiation, various physical and chemical factors, infection with human herpes virus (HHV8 and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV. Current research indicates many sarcomas are associated with genetic mutations. In this study, we investigated profile of mRNA gene expression KLF4, MDM2, and c-Myc of RNA in fibrosarcoma cases. The genes expression was examined using quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR and we analyzed the relative gene expression using the 2-ΔΔCt method. Ten

  5. Ribosomopathy-like properties of murine and human cancers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sucheta Kulkarni

    Full Text Available Ribosomopathies comprise a heterogeneous group of hematologic and developmental disorders, often characterized by bone marrow failure, skeletal and other developmental abnormalities and cancer predisposition. They are associated with mutations and/or haplo-insufficiencies of ribosomal proteins (RPs and inefficient ribosomal RNA (rRNA processing. The resulting ribosomal stress induces the canonical p19ARF/Mdm2/p53 tumor suppressor pathway leading to proliferative arrest and/or apoptosis. It has been proposed that this pathway is then inactivated during subsequent neoplastic evolution. We show here that two murine models of hepatoblastoma (HB and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC unexpectedly possess features that mimic the ribosomopathies. These include loss of the normal stoichiometry of RP transcripts and proteins and the accumulation of unprocessed rRNA precursors. Silencing of p19ARF, cytoplasmic sequestration of p53, binding to and inactivation of Mdm2 by free RPs, and up-regulation of the pro-survival protein Bcl-2 may further cooperate to drive tumor growth and survival. Consistent with this notion, re-instatement of constitutive p19ARF expression in the HB model completely suppressed tumorigenesis. In >2000 cases of human HCC, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer, RP transcript deregulation was a frequent finding. In HCC and breast cancer, the severity of this dysregulation was associated with inferior survival. In HCC, the presence of RP gene mutations, some of which were identical to those previously reported in ribosomopathies, were similarly negatively correlated with long-term survival. Taken together, our results indicate that many if not all cancers possess ribosomopathy-like features that may affect their biological behaviors.

  6. Interferometric characterization of few-mode fibers (FMF) for mode-division multiplexing (MDM)

    OpenAIRE

    Muliar, Olena; Usuga Castaneda, Mario A.; Rottwitt, Karsten; Lægsgaard, Jesper

    2015-01-01

    The rapid growth of global data traffic demands the continuous search for new technologies and systems that could increase transmission capacity in optical links and recent experiments show that to do so, it is advantageous to explore new degrees of freedom such as polarization, wavelength or optical modes. Mode division multiplexing (MDM) appears in this context as a promising and viable solution for such capacity increase, since it utilizes multiple spatial modes of an optical fiber as indi...

  7. Viral Inhibition of Bacterial Phagocytosis by Human Macrophages: Redundant Role of CD36.

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    Grace E Cooper

    Full Text Available Macrophages are essential to maintaining lung homoeostasis and recent work has demonstrated that influenza-infected lung macrophages downregulate their expression of the scavenger receptor CD36. This receptor has also been shown to be involved in phagocytosis of Streptococcus pneumoniae, a primary agent associated with pneumonia secondary to viral infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of CD36 in the effects of viral infection on macrophage phagocytic function. Human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM were exposed to H3N2 X31 influenza virus, M37 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV or UV-irradiated virus. No infection of MDM was seen upon exposure to UV-irradiated virus but incubation with live X31 or M37 resulted in significant levels of viral detection by flow cytometry or RT-PCR respectively. Infection resulted in significantly diminished uptake of S. pneumoniae by MDM and significantly decreased expression of CD36 at both the cell surface and mRNA level. Concurrently, there was a significant increase in IFNβ gene expression in response to infection and we observed a significant decrease in bacterial phagocytosis (p = 0.031 and CD36 gene expression (p = 0.031 by MDM cultured for 24 h in 50IU/ml IFNβ. Knockdown of CD36 by siRNA resulted in decreased phagocytosis, but this was mimicked by transfection reagent alone. When MDM were incubated with CD36 blocking antibodies no effect on phagocytic ability was observed. These data indicate that autologous IFNβ production by virally-infected cells can inhibit bacterial phagocytosis, but that decreased CD36 expression by these cells does not play a major role in this functional deficiency.

  8. Correlation between a 2D Channelized Hotelling Observer and Human Observers in a Low-contrast Detection Task with Multi-slice Reading in CT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Lifeng; Chen, Baiyu; Kofler, James M.; Favazza, Christopher P.; Leng, Shuai; Kupinski, Matthew A.; McCollough, Cynthia H.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose Model observers have been successfully developed and used to assess the quality of static 2D CT images. However, radiologists typically read images by paging through multiple 2D slices (i.e. multi-slice reading). The purpose of this study was to correlate human and model observer performance in a low-contrast detection task performed using both 2D and multi-slice reading, and to determine if the 2D model observer still correlate well with human observer performance in multi-slice reading. Methods A phantom containing 18 low-contrast spheres (6 sizes × 3 contrast levels) was scanned on a 192-slice CT scanner at 5 dose levels (CTDIvol = 27, 13.5, 6.8, 3.4, and 1.7 mGy), each repeated 100 times. Images were reconstructed using both filtered-backprojection (FBP) and an iterative reconstruction (IR) method (ADMIRE, Siemens). A 3D volume of interest (VOI) around each sphere was extracted and placed side-by-side with a signal-absent VOI to create a 2-alternative forced choice (2AFC) trial. Sixteen 2AFC studies were generated, each with 100 trials, to evaluate the impact of radiation dose, lesion size and contrast, and reconstruction methods on object detection. In total, 1600 trials were presented to both model and human observers. Three medical physicists acted as human observers and were allowed to page through the 3D volumes to make a decision for each 2AFC trial. The human observer performance was compared with the performance of a multi-slice channelized Hotelling observer (CHO_MS), which integrates multi-slice image data, and with the performance of previously validated CHO, which operates on static 2D images (CHO_2D). For comparison, the same 16 2AFC studies were also performed in a 2D viewing mode by the human observers and compared with the multi-slice viewing performance and the two CHO models. Results Human observer performance was well correlated with the CHO_2D performance in the 2D viewing mode (Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient R=0

  9. MDM2 regulates hypoxic hypoxia-inducible factor 1α stability in an E3 ligase, proteasome, and PTEN-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-AKT-dependent manner.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Shweta; Singh, Alok R; Durden, Donald L

    2014-08-15

    Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) is a heterodimeric transcription factor containing an inducibly expressed HIF1α subunit and a constitutively expressed HIF1β subunit. Under hypoxic conditions, the HIF1α subunit accumulates because of a decrease in the rate of proteolytic degradation, and the resulting HIF1α-HIF1β heterodimers undergo post-translational modifications that promote transactivation. Previous reports suggest that amplified signaling through PI3K enhances HIF1-dependent gene expression; however, its role is controversial, and the mechanism is unclear. Using genetically engineered PTEN-deficient cell lines, we demonstrate that PTEN specifically inhibited the accumulation of HIF1α in response to hypoxia. Furthermore, we report that in glioblastoma cell lines, inhibition of PI3K pathway, using pan as well as isoform-specific PI3K inhibitors SF1126, PF4691502, BEZ-235, GDC0941, and TGX221 blocked the induction of HIF1α protein and its targets vascular endothelial growth factor, HK1, and GLUT1 mRNA in response to hypoxia. Herein, we describe the first evidence that HIF1α can be degraded under hypoxic conditions via the 26 S proteasome and that MDM2 is the E3 ligase that induces the hypoxic degradation of HIF1α. Moreover, the action of MDM2 on HIF1α under hypoxia occurs in the cytoplasm and is controlled by the PTEN-PI3K-AKT signaling axis. These data strongly suggest a new role for PTEN in the regulation of HIF1α and importantly that PI3K-AKT activation is required for the hypoxic stabilization of HIF1α and that hypoxia alone is not sufficient to render HIF1α resistant to proteasomal cleavage and degradation. Moreover, these findings suggest new therapeutic considerations for PI3K and/or AKT inhibitors for cancer therapeutics. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  10. MDM2 Regulates Hypoxic Hypoxia-inducible Factor 1α Stability in an E3 Ligase, Proteasome, and PTEN-Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase-AKT-dependent Manner*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Shweta; Singh, Alok R.; Durden, Donald L.

    2014-01-01

    Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) is a heterodimeric transcription factor containing an inducibly expressed HIF1α subunit and a constitutively expressed HIF1β subunit. Under hypoxic conditions, the HIF1α subunit accumulates because of a decrease in the rate of proteolytic degradation, and the resulting HIF1α–HIF1β heterodimers undergo post-translational modifications that promote transactivation. Previous reports suggest that amplified signaling through PI3K enhances HIF1-dependent gene expression; however, its role is controversial, and the mechanism is unclear. Using genetically engineered PTEN-deficient cell lines, we demonstrate that PTEN specifically inhibited the accumulation of HIF1α in response to hypoxia. Furthermore, we report that in glioblastoma cell lines, inhibition of PI3K pathway, using pan as well as isoform-specific PI3K inhibitors SF1126, PF4691502, BEZ-235, GDC0941, and TGX221 blocked the induction of HIF1α protein and its targets vascular endothelial growth factor, HK1, and GLUT1 mRNA in response to hypoxia. Herein, we describe the first evidence that HIF1α can be degraded under hypoxic conditions via the 26 S proteasome and that MDM2 is the E3 ligase that induces the hypoxic degradation of HIF1α. Moreover, the action of MDM2 on HIF1α under hypoxia occurs in the cytoplasm and is controlled by the PTEN-PI3K-AKT signaling axis. These data strongly suggest a new role for PTEN in the regulation of HIF1α and importantly that PI3K-AKT activation is required for the hypoxic stabilization of HIF1α and that hypoxia alone is not sufficient to render HIF1α resistant to proteasomal cleavage and degradation. Moreover, these findings suggest new therapeutic considerations for PI3K and/or AKT inhibitors for cancer therapeutics. PMID:24982421

  11. C–C Chemokines Released by Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Human Macrophages Suppress HIV-1 Infection in Both Macrophages and T Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verani, Alessia; Scarlatti, Gabriella; Comar, Manola; Tresoldi, Eleonora; Polo, Simona; Giacca, Mauro; Lusso, Paolo; Siccardi, Antonio G.; Vercelli, Donata

    1997-01-01

    Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) expression in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) infected in vitro is known to be inhibited by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, the mechanisms are incompletely understood. We show here that HIV-1 suppression is mediated by soluble factors released by MDM stimulated with physiologically significant concentrations of LPS. LPS-conditioned supernatants from MDM inhibited HIV-1 replication in both MDM and T cells. Depletion of C–C chemokines (RANTES, MIP-1α, and MIP-1β) neutralized the ability of LPS-conditioned supernatants to inhibit HIV-1 replication in MDM. A combination of recombinant C–C chemokines blocked HIV-1 infection as effectively as LPS. Here, we report an inhibitory effect of C–C chemokines on HIV replication in primary macrophages. Our results raise the possibility that monocytes may play a dual role in HIV infection: while representing a reservoir for the virus, they may contribute to the containment of the infection by releasing factors that suppress HIV replication not only in monocytes but also in T lymphocytes. PMID:9120386

  12. Heme oxygenase-1 induction alters chemokine regulation and ameliorates human immunodeficiency virus-type-1 infection in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Zhao-Hua; Kumari, Namita; Nekhai, Sergei; Clouse, Kathleen A.; Wahl, Larry M.; Yamada, Kenneth M.; Dhawan, Subhash

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •Lipopolysaccharide stimulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) ameliorated HIV-1 infection of primary human macrophages. •The partial protection by HO-1 against HIV infection was associated with induction of chemokines such as MIP1α and MIP1β. •This mechanism explains lipopolysaccharide-stimulated HO-1-mediated inhibition of HIV-1 infection of macrophages. -- Abstract: We have elucidated a putative mechanism for the host resistance against HIV-1 infection of primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We show that LPS-activated MDM both inhibited HIV-1 entry into the cells and were refractory to post-entry productive viral replication. LPS-treated cells were virtually negative for mature virions as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. LPS activation of MDM markedly enhanced the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a potent inducible cytoprotective enzyme. Increased HO-1 expression was accompanied by elevated production of macrophage inflammatory chemokines (MIP1α and MIP1β) by LPS-activated MDM, significantly decreased surface chemokine receptor-5 (CCR-5) expression, and substantially reduced virus replication. Treatment of cells with HO-1 inhibitor SnPP IX (tin protoporphyrin IX) attenuated the LPS-mediated responses, HIV-1 replication and secretion of MIP1α, MIP1β, and LD78β chemokines with little change in surface CCR-5 expression. These results identify a novel role for HO-1 in the modulation of host immune response against HIV infection of MDM

  13. CORRELATION BETWEEN HUMAN NEEDS SYSTEM - PERSONALITY - HUMAN MOTIVATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirela MINICA

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The article highlights the main attributes of an economic approach of needs and preferences, with detailed focus on the correlation between meta-needs and personality, by correlating the principle of hierarchy established by Maslow with the balance theory. Adopting an integrated system of human capital motivation, which takes into account the complex aspects involved in the knowledge society, represents a managerial requirement for any organisation.

  14. Correlation of expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and -2 in human gingival cells of periodontitis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kyung-A; Chung, Soo-Bong; Hawng, Eun-Young; Noh, Seung-Hyun; Song, Kwon-Ho; Kim, Hanna-Hyun; Kim, Cheorl-Ho; Park, Young-Guk

    2013-02-01

    Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are capable of degrading extracellular matrix, and they are inducible enzymes depending on an inflammatory environment such as periodontitis and bacterial infection in periodontal tissue. Gingival inflammation has been postulated to be correlated with the production of MMP-2 and MMP-9. The objective of this study was to quantify the expression and activity of MMP-9 and -2, and to determine the correlation between activity and expression of these MMPs in human gingival tissues with periodontitis. The gingival tissues of 13 patients were homogenized in 500 µL of phosphate buffered saline with a protease inhibitor cocktail. The expression and activity of MMP-2 and -9 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot analysis, and quantified by a densitometer. For the correlation line, statistical analysis was performed using the Systat software package. MMP-9 was highly expressed in all gingival tissue samples, whereas MMP-2 was underexpressed compared with MMP-9. MMP-9 activity increased together with the MMP-9 expression level, with a positive correlation (r=0.793, P=0.01). The correlation was not observed in MMP-2. The expression of MMP-2 and -9 might contribute to periodontal physiological and pathological processes, and the degree of MMP-9 expression and activity are predictive indicators relevant to the progression of periodontitis.

  15. Isolation and identification of the human homolog of a new p53-binding protein, Mdmx

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Shvarts, A.; Bazuine, M.; Dekker, P.; Ramos, Y. F.; Steegenga, W. T.; Merckx, G.; van Ham, R. C.; van der Houven van Oordt, W.; van der Eb, A. J.; Jochemsen, A. G.

    1997-01-01

    We recently reported the identification of a mouse cDNA encoding a new p53-associating protein that we called Mdmx because of its structural similarity to Mdm2, a well-known p53-binding protein. Here we report the isolation of a cDNA encoding the human homolog of Mdmx. The ORF of the cDNA encodes a

  16. Gait Correlation Analysis Based Human Identification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinyan Chen

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Human gait identification aims to identify people by a sequence of walking images. Comparing with fingerprint or iris based identification, the most important advantage of gait identification is that it can be done at a distance. In this paper, silhouette correlation analysis based human identification approach is proposed. By background subtracting algorithm, the moving silhouette figure can be extracted from the walking images sequence. Every pixel in the silhouette has three dimensions: horizontal axis (x, vertical axis (y, and temporal axis (t. By moving every pixel in the silhouette image along these three dimensions, we can get a new silhouette. The correlation result between the original silhouette and the new one can be used as the raw feature of human gait. Discrete Fourier transform is used to extract features from this correlation result. Then, these features are normalized to minimize the affection of noise. Primary component analysis method is used to reduce the features’ dimensions. Experiment based on CASIA database shows that this method has an encouraging recognition performance.

  17. HIV-1 subtype C unproductively infects human cardiomyocytes in vitro and induces apoptosis mitigated by an anti-Gp120 aptamer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes de Campos, Walter R; Chirwa, Nthato; London, Grace; Rotherham, Lia S; Morris, Lynn; Mayosi, Bongani M; Khati, Makobetsa

    2014-01-01

    HIV-associated cardiomyopathy (HIVCM) is of clinical concern in developing countries because of a high HIV-1 prevalence, especially subtype C, and limited access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). For these reasons, we investigated the direct and indirect effects of HIV-1 subtype C infection of cultured human cardiomyocytes and the mechanisms leading to cardiomyocytes damage; as well as a way to mitigate the damage. We evaluated a novel approach to mitigate HIVCM using a previously reported gp120 binding and HIV-1 neutralizing aptamer called UCLA1. We established a cell-based model of HIVCM by infecting human cardiomyocytes with cell-free HIV-1 or co-culturing human cardiomyocytes with HIV-infected monocyte derived macrophages (MDM). We discovered that HIV-1 subtype C unproductively (i.e. its life cycle is arrested after reverse transcription) infects cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, we found that HIV-1 initiates apoptosis of cardiomyocytes through caspase-9 activation, preferentially via the intrinsic or mitochondrial initiated pathway. CXCR4 receptor-using viruses were stronger inducers of apoptosis than CCR5 utilizing variants. Importantly, we discovered that HIV-1 induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes was mitigated by UCLA1. However, UCLA1 had no protective effective on cardiomyocytes when apoptosis was triggered by HIV-infected MDM. When HIV-1 was treated with UCLA1 prior to infection of MDM, it failed to induce apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. These data suggest that HIV-1 causes a mitochondrial initiated apoptotic cascade, which signal through caspase-9, whereas HIV-1 infected MDM causes apoptosis predominantly via the death-receptor pathway, mediated by caspase-8. Furthermore the data suggest that UCLA1 protects cardiomyocytes from caspase-mediated apoptosis, directly by binding to HIV-1 and indirectly by preventing infection of MDM.

  18. Immunohistochemical expression of protein 53, murine double minute 2, B-cell lymphoma 2, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in odontogenic cysts and keratocystic odontogenic tumor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galvão, Hebel Cavalcanti; Gordón-Núñez, Manuel Antonio; de Amorim, Rivadavio Fernandes Batista; Freitas, Roseana de Almeida; de Souza, Lelia Batista

    2013-01-01

    Even though odontogenic cysts share a similar histogenesis, they show different growth and differentiation profile due to differences in the proliferative cellular activity. We perform an immunohistochemical assessment of protein 53 (p53), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), B-cell lymphoma 2 (bcl-2), and murine double minute 2 (MDM2) expression in odontogenic cysts and keratocystic odontogenic tumor analyzing their correlation with the biological behavior of these lesions. By the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase method with antibodies against p53, PCNA, bcl-2, and MDM2 proteins, 11 radicular cysts, 11 dentigerous cysts, and 11 keratocystic odontogenic tumor were analyzed. The non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-test and Kruskall-Wallis test (P ≤ 0.05) were used to analyze the data. Immunopositivity for PCNA was observed in all cases appraised, predominantly in the suprabasal layer of keratocystic odontogenic tumor epithelial lining (SD ± 19.44), but no significant differences were found among the groups of lesions. Bcl-2 immunoexpression was observed especially in the basal layer of keratocystic odontogenic tumor. PCNA LI was significantly higher than bcl-2 LI in keratocystic odontogenic tumor. MDM2 and p53 immunoexpression were not detected in the lesions studied. Among the evaluated lesions, the keratocystic odontogenic tumor showed different immunoexpression of the proliferation and apoptosis markers. The results of this study suggest that the keratocystic odontogenic tumor presents distinct biological behavior of the odontogenic cysts, as for the processes of proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation, reinforcing the information in favor of the neoplastic nature of this lesion.

  19. Correlation of HIF-2α, ABCG2 and OCT-4 with chemotherapy resistance in human gastric cancer

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    Hong-mei ZHANG

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Objective To investigate the correlation of HIF-2α, ABCG2 and OCT-4 with chemotherapy resistant gastric cancer in humans. Methods Fifty-two patients who were confirmed to have advanced gastric cancer with the aid of electronic endoscopy and pathology in the Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical College, were enrolled in the study. According to the effect of FOL-FOX4 chemotherapy that these patients had experienced, they were divided into three groups: CR+PR (complete remission+partial remission group, SD (stable disease group and PD (progressive disease group. The expression levels of HIF-2α, ABCG2, and OCT-4 mRNA and protein were assessed in different groups by using RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. Results Two patients achieved CR , 19 achieved PR , 25 showed SD, and 6 showed PD. In other words, CR+PR were seen in 21 patients (40.4%, SD in 25(48.1%, PD in 6(11.5%. In CR+PR group, the expression levels of HIF-2α, ABCG2 and OCT4 mRNA and protein were low, but the above mentioned expressions were significantly increased in SD group and PD group. The expression levels of HIF-2α, ABCG2 and Oct-4 mRNA and protein were highest in the PD group, lower in the SD group, and lowest in the CR + PR groups (all P<0.05. Conclusions The expression of the markers HIF-2α, ABCG2 and OCT4 in human tumor tissues is related to the effect of chemotherapy for gastric cancer. A high expression of tumor markers is perhaps the main reason for low efficacy of chemotherapy due to drug resistance. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2015.10.09

  20. ATP Induces IL-1β Secretion in Neisseria gonorrhoeae-Infected Human Macrophages by a Mechanism Not Related to the NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1 Axis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Killen García

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ngo has developed multiple immune evasion mechanisms involving the innate and adaptive immune responses. Recent findings have reported that Ngo reduces the IL-1β secretion of infected human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM. Here, we investigate the role of adenosine triphosphate (ATP in production and release of IL-1β in Ngo-infected MDM. We found that the exposure of Ngo-infected MDM to ATP increases IL-1β levels about ten times compared with unexposed Ngo-infected MDM (P0.05 and caspase-1 (CASP1, P>0.05. In addition, ATP was not able to modify caspase-1 activity in Ngo-infected MDM but was able to increase pyroptosis (P>0.01. Notably ATP treatment defined an increase of positive staining for IL-1β with a distinctive intracellular pattern of distribution. Collectively, these data demonstrate that ATP induces IL-1β secretion by a mechanism not related to the NLRP3/ASC/caspase-1 axis and likely is acting at the level of vesicle trafficking or pore formation.

  1. Coxsackievirus B4 Can Infect Human Peripheral Blood-Derived Macrophages

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    Enagnon Kazali Alidjinou

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Beyond acute infections, group B coxsackieviruses (CVB are also reported to play a role in the development of chronic diseases, like type 1 diabetes. The viral pathogenesis mainly relies on the interplay between the viruses and innate immune response in genetically-susceptible individuals. We investigated the interaction between CVB4 and macrophages considered as major players in immune response. Monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM generated with either M-CSF or GM-CSF were inoculated with CVB4, and infection, inflammation, viral replication and persistence were assessed. M-CSF-induced MDM, but not GM-CSF-induced MDM, can be infected by CVB4. In addition, enhancing serum was not needed to infect MDM in contrast with parental monocytes. The expression of viral receptor (CAR mRNA was similar in both M-CSF and GM-CSF MDM. CVB4 induced high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNFα in both MDM populations. CVB4 effectively replicated and persisted in M-CSF MDM, but IFNα was produced in the early phase of infection only. Our results demonstrate that CVB4 can replicate and persist in MDM. Further investigations are required to determine whether the interaction between the virus and MDM plays a role in the pathogenesis of CVB-induced chronic diseases.

  2. A critical role for noncoding 5S rRNA in regulating Mdmx stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Muyang; Gu, Wei

    2011-09-16

    Both p53 and Mdmx are ubiquitinated and degraded by the same E3 ligase Mdm2; interestingly, however, while p53 is rapidly degraded by Mdm2, Mdmx is a stable protein in most cancer cells. Thus, the mechanism by which Mdmx is degraded by Mdm2 needs further elucidation. Here, we identified the noncoding 5S rRNA as a major component of Mdmx-associated complexes from human cells. We show that 5S rRNA acts as a natural inhibitor of Mdmx degradation by Mdm2. RNAi-mediated knockdown of endogenous 5S rRNA, while not affecting p53 levels, significantly induces Mdmx degradation and, subsequently, activates p53-dependent growth arrest. Notably, 5S rRNA binds the RING domain of Mdmx and blocks its ubiquitination by Mdm2, whereas Mdm2-mediated p53 ubiquitination remains intact. These results provide insights into the differential effects on p53 and Mdmx by Mdm2 in vivo and reveal a critical role for noncoding 5S rRNA in modulating the p53-Mdmx axis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Establishment of a Wheat Cell-Free Synthesized Protein Array Containing 250 Human and Mouse E3 Ubiquitin Ligases to Identify Novel Interaction between E3 Ligases and Substrate Proteins.

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    Hirotaka Takahashi

    Full Text Available Ubiquitination is a key post-translational modification in the regulation of numerous biological processes in eukaryotes. The primary roles of ubiquitination are thought to be the triggering of protein degradation and the regulation of signal transduction. During protein ubiquitination, substrate specificity is mainly determined by E3 ubiquitin ligase (E3. Although more than 600 genes in the human genome encode E3, the E3s of many target proteins remain unidentified owing to E3 diversity and the instability of ubiquitinated proteins in cell. We demonstrate herein a novel biochemical analysis for the identification of E3s targeting specific proteins. Using wheat cell-free protein synthesis system, a protein array containing 227 human and 23 mouse recombinant E3s was synthesized. To establish the high-throughput binding assay using AlphaScreen technology, we selected MDM2 and p53 as the model combination of E3 and its target protein. The AlphaScreen assay specifically detected the binding of p53 and MDM2 in a crude translation mixture. Then, a comprehensive binding assay using the E3 protein array was performed. Eleven of the E3s showed high binding activity, including four previously reported E3s (e.g., MDM2, MDM4, and WWP1 targeting p53. This result demonstrated the reliability of the assay. Another interactors, RNF6 and DZIP3-which there have been no report to bind p53-were found to ubiquitinate p53 in vitro. Further analysis showed that RNF6 decreased the amount of p53 in H1299 cells in E3 activity-dependent manner. These results suggest the possibility that the RNF6 ubiquitinates and degrades p53 in cells. The novel in vitro screening system established herein is a powerful tool for finding novel E3s of a target protein.

  4. Design and numerical study of turbines operating with MDM as working fluid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klonowicz, Piotr; Surwiło, Jan; Witanowski, Łukasz; Suchocki, Tomasz K.; Kozanecki, Zbigniew; Lampart, Piotr

    2015-12-01

    Design processes and numerical simulations have been presented for a few cases of turbines designated to work in ORC systems. The chosen working fluid isMDM. The considered design configurations include single stage centripetal reaction and centrifugal impulse turbines as well as multistage axial turbines. The power outputs vary from about 75 kW to 1 MW. The flow in single stage turbines is supersonic and requires special design of blades. The internal efficiencies of these configurations exceed 80% which is considered high for these type of machines. The efficiency of axial turbines exceed 90%. Possible turbine optimization directions have been also outlined in the work.

  5. Enhanced detection of gametocytes by magnetic deposition microscopy predicts higher potential for Plasmodium falciparum transmission

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zborowski Maciej

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Aggregated haemozoin crystals within malaria-infected erythrocytes confer susceptibility of parasitized cells to a magnetic field. Here the utility of this method for diagnosis of human malaria is evaluated in a malaria-endemic region of Papua New Guinea (PNG. Methods and findings Individuals with Plasmodium falciparum malaria symptoms (n = 55 provided samples for conventional blood smear (CBS and magnetic deposition microscopy (MDM diagnosis. Standard Giemsa staining and light microscopy was performed to evaluate all preparations. Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia observed on MDM slides was consistently higher than parasitaemia observed by (CBS for ring (CBS = 2.6 vs. MDM = 3.4%; t-test P-value = 0.13, trophozoite (CBS = 0.5 vs. MDM = 1.6%; t-test P-value = 0.01, schizont (CBS = 0.003 vs. MDM = 0.1%; t-test P-value = 0.08 and gametocyte (CBS = 0.001 vs. MDM = 0.4%; t-test P-value = 0.0002 parasitaemias. Gametocyte prevalence determined by CBS compared to MDM increased from 7.3% to 45%, respectively. Conclusion MDM increased detection sensitivity of P. falciparum-infected, haemozoin-containing erythrocytes from infected humans while maintaining detection of ring-stage parasites. Gametocyte prevalence five-fold higher than observed by CBS suggests higher malaria transmission potential in PNG endemic sites compared to previous estimates.

  6. The correlation between R2' and bone mineral measurements in human vertebrae: an in vitro study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brismar, T.B.; Karlsson, M.; Li, T.Q.; Ringertz, H.

    1999-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate whether MR imaging of trabecular bone structure using magnetic inhomogeneity measurements is related to the amount of bone mineral in human vertebrae. Weight, bone mineral content (BMC DXA ), bone mineral per area (BMA DXA ) and bone mineral density (BMD CT ) were determined in 12 defatted human lumbar vertebrae (L2-L4) by weighing, dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and CT. Inhomogeneity caused by susceptibility differences between trabecular bone and surrounding water was studied with MR imaging at 1.5 T using the GESFIDE sequence. The pulse sequence determines the transverse relaxation rate R2 * and its two components, the non-reversible transverse relaxation rate (R2) and the reversible transverse relaxation rate (R2'; i. e. relaxation rate due to magnetic susceptibility) in a single scan. Voxel size was 0.9 x 1.9 x 5.0 mm. Positive significant correlations between R2' and weight, BMC DXA , BMA DXA and BMD CT were observed (r > 0.61 and p DXA and BMD CT (r > 0.66 and p DXA . Thus, R2' measurements are related to the amount of bone mineral, but they also provide information which is not obtainable from bone mineral measurements. (orig.) (orig.)

  7. Correlation between the parameters of radiosensitivity in human cancer cell lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Woo Yoon; Kim, Won Dong; Min, Kyung Soo

    1998-01-01

    We conducted clonogenic assay using human cancer cell lines (MKN-45, PC-14, Y-79, HeLa) to investigate a correlation between the parameters of radiosensitivity. Human cancer cell lines were irradiated with single doses of 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10Gy for the study of radiosensitivity and sublethal damage repair capacity was assessed with two fractions of 5Gy separated with a time interval of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 24 hours. Surviving fraction was assessed with clonogenic assay using Sperman-Karber method and mathematical analysis of survival curves was done with linear-quadratic (LQ), multitarget-single hit(MS) model and mean inactivation dose(D). Surviving fractions at 2Gy(SF2) were variable among the cell lines, ranged from 0.174 to 0.85. The SF2 of Y-79 was lowest and that of PC-14 was highest(p<0.05, t-test). LQ model analysis showed that the values of α for Y-79, MKN-45, HeLa and PC-14 were 0.603, 0.356, 0.275 and 0.102 respectively, and those of β were 0.005, 0.016, 0.025 and 0.027 respectively. Fitting to MS model showed that the values of Do for Y-79, MKN-45, HeLa and PC-14 were 1.59, 1.84, 1.88 and 2.52 respectively, and those of n were 0.97, 1.46, 1.52 and 1.69 respectively. The Ds calculated by Gauss-Laguerre method were 1.62, 2.37, 2.61 and 3.95 respectively. So the SF2 was significantly correlated with α, Do and D. Their Pearson correlation coefficiencics were -0.953 and 0.993, 0.999 respectively(p<0.05). Sublethal damage repair was saturated around 4 hours and recovery ratios (RR) at plateau phase ranged from 2 to 3.79. But RR was not correlated with SF2, α, β, Do, D. The intrinsic radiosensitivity was very different among the tested human cell lines. Y-79 was the most sensitive and PC-14 was the least sensitive. SF2 was well correlated with α, Do, and D. RR was high for MKN-45 and HeLa but had nothing to do with radiosensitivity parameters. These basic parameters can be used as baseline data for various in vitro radiobiological experiments

  8. Are there intracellular Ca2+ oscillations correlated with flagellar beating in human sperm? A three vs. two-dimensional analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corkidi, G; Montoya, F; Hernández-Herrera, P; Ríos-Herrera, W A; Müller, M F; Treviño, C L; Darszon, A

    2017-09-01

    Are there intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) oscillations correlated with flagellar beating in human sperm? The results reveal statistically significant [Ca2+]i oscillations that are correlated with the human sperm flagellar beating frequency, when measured in three-dimensions (3D). Fast [Ca2+]i oscillations that are correlated to the beating flagellar frequency of cells swimming in a restricted volume have been detected in hamster sperm. To date, such findings have not been confirmed in any other mammalian sperm species. An important question that has remained regarding these observations is whether the fast [Ca2+]i oscillations are real or might they be due to remaining defocusing effects of the Z component arising from the 3D beating of the flagella. Healthy donors whose semen samples fulfill the WHO criteria between the age of 18-28 were selected. Cells from at least six different donors were utilized for analysis. Approximately the same number of experimental and control cells were analyzed. Motile cells were obtained by the swim-up technique and were loaded with Fluo-4 (Ca2+ sensitive dye) or with Calcein (Ca2+ insensitive dye). Ni2+ was used as a non-specific plasma membrane Ca2+ channel blocker. Fluorescence data and flagella position were acquired in 3D. Each cell was recorded for up to 5.6 s within a depth of 16 microns with a high speed camera (coupled to an image intensifier) acquiring at a rate of 3000 frames per second, while an oscillating objective vibrated at 90 Hz via a piezoelectric device. From these samples, eight experimental and nine control sperm cells were analyzed in both 2D and 3D. We have implemented a new system that allows [Ca2+]i measurements of the human sperm flagellum beating in 3D. These measurements reveal statistically significant [Ca2+]i oscillations that correlate with the flagellar beating frequency. These oscillations may arise from intracellular sources and/or Ca2+ transporters, as they were insensitive to external Ni2+, a non

  9. Depletion of ribosomal protein L37 occurs in response to DNA damage and activates p53 through the L11/MDM2 pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llanos, Susana; Serrano, Manuel

    2010-10-01

    Perturbation of ribosomal biogenesis has recently emerged as a relevant p53-activating pathway. This pathway can be initiated by depletion of certain ribosomal proteins, which is followed by the binding and inhibition of MDM2 by a different subset of ribosomal proteins that includes L11. Here, we report that depletion of L37 leads to cell cycle arrest in a L11- and p53-dependent manner. DNA damage can initiate ribosomal stress, although little is known about the mechanisms involved. We have found that some genotoxic insults, namely, UV light and cisplatin, lead to proteasomal degradation of L37 in the nucleoplasm and to the ensuing L11-dependent stabilization of p53. Moreover, ectopic L37 overexpression can attenuate the DNA damage response mediated by p53. These results support the concept that DNA damage-induced proteasomal degradation of L37 constitutes a mechanistic link between DNA damage and the ribosomal stress pathway, and is a relevant contributing signaling pathway for the activation of p53 in response to DNA damage.

  10. Correlation between three color coordinates of human teeth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yong-Keun

    2014-11-01

    The objective was to determine whether there were significant correlations in the three color coordinates within each of two color coordinate systems, such as the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) L*a*b* system, and the lightness, chroma, and hue angle system, of human vital teeth. The color of six maxillary and six mandibular anterior teeth was measured by the Shade Vision System. Pearson correlations between each pair of the color coordinates were determined (α=0.01). The influence of two color coordinates on the other color coordinate was determined with a multiple regression analysis (α=0.01). Based on correlation analyses, all the color coordinate pairs showed significant correlations except for the chroma and hue angle pair. The CIE L* was negatively correlated with the CIE a*, b*, and chroma, but positively correlated with the hue angle. The CIE a* was positively correlated with the CIE b* and chroma. Tooth color coordinates were correlated each other. Lighter teeth were less chromatic both in the CIE a* and b* coordinates. Therefore, it was postulated that the three color coordinates of human teeth were harmonized within certain color attribute ranges, and a lack of correlations in these coordinates might indicate external/internal discolorations and/or anomalies of teeth.

  11. Neisseria gonorrhoeae Modulates Immunity by Polarizing Human Macrophages to a M2 Profile.

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    María Carolina Ortiz

    Full Text Available Current data suggest that Neisseria gonorrhoeae is able to suppress the protective immune response at different levels, such as B and T lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells. The present report is focused on gonococcus evasion mechanism on macrophages (MФ and its impact in the subsequent immune response. In response to various signals MФ may undergo classical-M1 (M1-MФ or alternative-M2 (M2-MФ activation. Until now there are no reports of the gonococcus effects on human MФ polarization. We assessed the phagocytic ability of monocyte-derived MФ (MDM upon gonococcal infection by immunofluorescence and gentamicin protection experiments. Then, we evaluated cytokine profile and M1/M2 specific-surface markers on MФ challenged with N. gonorrhoeae and their proliferative effect on T cells. Our findings lead us to suggest N. gonorrhoeae stimulates a M2-MФ phenotype in which some of the M2b and none of the M1-MФ-associated markers are induced. Interestingly, N. gonorrhoeae exposure leads to upregulation of a Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1, widely known as an immunosuppressive molecule. Moreover, functional results showed that N. gonorrhoeae-treated MФ are unable to induce proliferation of human T-cells, suggesting a more likely regulatory phenotype. Taken together, our data show that N. gonorroheae interferes with MФ polarization. This study has important implications for understanding the mechanisms of clearance versus long-term persistence of N. gonorroheae infection and might be applicable for the development of new therapeutic strategies.

  12. ERBB2 in Cat Mammary Neoplasias Disclosed a Positive Correlation between RNA and Protein Low Expression Levels: A Model for erbB-2 Negative Human Breast Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abreu, Rui M. V.; Bastos, Estela; Amorim, Irina; Gut, Ivo G.; Gärtner, Fátima; Chaves, Raquel

    2013-01-01

    Human ERBB2 is a proto-oncogene that codes for the erbB-2 epithelial growth factor receptor. In human breast cancer (HBC), erbB-2 protein overexpression has been repeatedly correlated with poor prognosis. In more recent works, underexpression of this gene has been described in HBC. Moreover, it is also recognised that oncogenes that are commonly amplified or deleted encompass point mutations, and some of these are associated with HBC. In cat mammary lesions (CMLs), the overexpression of ERBB2 (27%–59.6%) has also been described, mostly at the protein level and although cat mammary neoplasias are considered to be a natural model of HBC, molecular information is still scarce. In the present work, a cat ERBB2 fragment, comprising exons 10 to 15 (ERBB2_10–15) was achieved for the first time. Allelic variants and genomic haplotype analyses were also performed, and differences between normal and CML populations were observed. Three amino acid changes, corresponding to 3 non-synonymous genomic sequence variants that were only detected in CMLs, were proposed to damage the 3D structure of the protein. We analysed the cat ERBB2 gene at the DNA (copy number determination), mRNA (expression levels assessment) and protein levels (in extra- and intra protein domains) in CML samples and correlated the last two evaluations with clinicopathological features. We found a positive correlation between the expression levels of the ERBB2 RNA and erbB-2 protein, corresponding to the intracellular region. Additionally, we detected a positive correlation between higher mRNA expression and better clinical outcome. Our results suggest that the ERBB2 gene is post-transcriptionally regulated and that proteins with truncations and single point mutations are present in cat mammary neoplastic lesions. We would like to emphasise that the recurrent occurrence of low erbB-2 expression levels in cat mammary tumours, suggests the cat mammary neoplasias as a valuable model for erbB-2 negative HBC

  13. MDM2 Antagonist Nutlin-3a Reverses Mitoxantrone Resistance by Inhibiting Breast Cancer Resistance Protein Mediated Drug Transport

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Fan; Throm, Stacy L.; Murley, Laura L.; Miller, Laura A.; Zatechka, D. Steven; Guy, R. Kiplin; Kennedy, Rachel; Stewart, Clinton F.

    2011-01-01

    Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP; ABCG2), a clinical marker for identifying the side population (SP) cancer stem cell subgroup, affects intestinal absorption, brain penetration, hepatobiliary excretion, and multidrug resistance of many anti-cancer drugs. Nutlin-3a is currently under pre-clinical investigation in a variety of solid tumor and leukemia models as a p53 reactivation agent, and has been recently demonstrated to also have p53 independent actions in cancer cells. In the present study, we first report that nutlin-3a can inhibit the efflux function of BCRP. We observed that although the nutlin-3a IC50 did not differ between BCRP over-expressing and vector control cells, nutlin-3a treatment significantly potentiated the cells to treatment with the BCRP substrate mitoxantrone. Combination index calculations suggested synergism between nutlin-3a and mitoxantrone in cell lines over-expressing BCRP. Upon further investigation, it was confirmed that nutlin-3a increased the intracellular accumulation of BCRP substrates such as mitoxantrone and Hoechst 33342 in cells expressing functional BCRP without altering the expression level or localization of BCRP. Interestingly, nutlin-3b, considered virtually “inactive” in disrupting the MDM2/p53 interaction, reversed Hoechst 33342 efflux with the same potency as nutlin-3a. Intracellular accumulation and bi-directional transport studies using MDCKII cells suggested that nutlin-3a is not a substrate of BCRP. Additionally, an ATPase assay using Sf9 insect cell membranes over-expressing wild-type BCRP indicated that nutlin-3a inhibits BCRP ATPase activity in a dose-dependent fashion. In conclusion, our studies demonstrate that nutlin-3a inhibits BCRP efflux function, which consequently reverses BCRP-related drug resistance. PMID:21459080

  14. Macrophages are related to goblet cell hyperplasia and induce MUC5B but not MUC5AC in human bronchus epithelial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Manuel A; Bercik, Premysl

    2012-06-01

    Airway goblet cell hyperplasia (GCH)--detectable by mucin staining--and abnormal macrophage infiltrate are pathological features present in many chronic respiratory disorders. However, it is unknown if both factors are associated. Using in-vivo and in-vitro models, we investigated whether macrophages are related with GCH and changes in mucin immunophenotypes. Lung sections from Sprague-Dawley rats treated for 48 h with one intra-tracheal dose of PBS or LPS (n=4-6 per group) were immunophenotyped for rat-goblet cells, immune, and proliferation markers. Human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) were pre-treated with or without LPS, immunophenotyped, and their supernatant, as well as cytokines at levels equivalent to supernatant were used to challenge primary culture of normal human bronchus epithelial cells (HBEC) in air-liquid interface, followed by MUC5B and MUC5AC mucin immunostaining. An association between increased bronchiolar goblet cells and terminal-bronchiolar proliferative epithelial cells confirmed the presence of GCH in our LPS rat model, which was related with augmented bronchiolar CD68 macrophage infiltration. The in-vitro experiments have shown that MUC5AC phenotype was inhibited when HBEC were challenged with supernatant from MDM pre-treated with or without LPS. In contrast, TNF-α and interleukin-1β at levels equivalent to supernatant from LPS-treated MDM increased MUC5AC. MUC5B was induced by LPS, supernatant from LPS-treated MDM, a mix of cytokines including TNF-α and TNF-α alone at levels present in supernatant from LPS-treated MDM. We demonstrated that macrophages are related with bronchiolar GCH, and that they induced MUC5B and inhibited MUC5AC in HBEC, suggesting a role for them in the pathogenesis of airway MUC5B-related GCH.

  15. Adherent Human Alveolar Macrophages Exhibit a Transient Pro-Inflammatory Profile That Confounds Responses to Innate Immune Stimulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomlinson, Gillian S.; Booth, Helen; Petit, Sarah J.; Potton, Elspeth; Towers, Greg J.; Miller, Robert F.; Chain, Benjamin M.; Noursadeghi, Mahdad

    2012-01-01

    Alveolar macrophages (AM) are thought to have a key role in the immunopathogenesis of respiratory diseases. We sought to test the hypothesis that human AM exhibit an anti-inflammatory bias by making genome-wide comparisons with monocyte derived macrophages (MDM). Adherent AM obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage of patients under investigation for haemoptysis, but found to have no respiratory pathology, were compared to MDM from healthy volunteers by whole genome transcriptional profiling before and after innate immune stimulation. We found that freshly isolated AM exhibited a marked pro-inflammatory transcriptional signature. High levels of basal pro-inflammatory gene expression gave the impression of attenuated responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the RNA analogue, poly IC, but in rested cells pro-inflammatory gene expression declined and transcriptional responsiveness to these stimuli was restored. In comparison to MDM, both freshly isolated and rested AM showed upregulation of MHC class II molecules. In most experimental paradigms ex vivo adherent AM are used immediately after isolation. Therefore, the confounding effects of their pro-inflammatory profile at baseline need careful consideration. Moreover, despite the prevailing view that AM have an anti-inflammatory bias, our data clearly show that they can adopt a striking pro-inflammatory phenotype, and may have greater capacity for presentation of exogenous antigens than MDM. PMID:22768282

  16. Human colorectal mucosal microbiota correlates with its host niche physiology revealed by endomicroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ai-Hua; Li, Ming; Li, Chang-Qing; Kou, Guan-Jun; Zuo, Xiu-Li; Li, Yan-Qing

    2016-02-26

    The human gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of health, but how the microbiota interacts with the host at the colorectal mucosa is poorly understood. We proposed that confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) might help to untangle this relationship by providing in vivo physiological information of the mucosa. We used CLE to evaluate the in vivo physiology of human colorectal mucosa, and the mucosal microbiota was quantified using 16 s rDNA pyrosequencing. The human mucosal microbiota agglomerated to three major clusters dominated by Prevotella, Bacteroides and Lactococcus. The mucosal microbiota clusters did not significantly correlate with the disease status or biopsy sites but closely correlated with the mucosal niche physiology, which was non-invasively revealed by CLE. Inflammation tilted two subnetworks within the mucosal microbiota. Infiltration of inflammatory cells significantly correlated with multiple components in the predicted metagenome, such as the VirD2 component of the type IV secretory pathway. Our data suggest that a close correlation exists between the mucosal microbiota and the colorectal mucosal physiology, and CLE is a clinically available tool that can be used to facilitate the study of the in vivo correlation between colorectal mucosal physiology and the mucosal microbiota.

  17. Neural correlate of human reciprocity in social interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakaiya, Shiro; Shiraito, Yuki; Kato, Junko; Ide, Hiroko; Okada, Kensuke; Takano, Kouji; Kansaku, Kenji

    2013-01-01

    Reciprocity plays a key role maintaining cooperation in society. However, little is known about the neural process that underpins human reciprocity during social interactions. Our neuroimaging study manipulated partner identity (computer, human) and strategy (random, tit-for-tat) in repeated prisoner's dilemma games and investigated the neural correlate of reciprocal interaction with humans. Reciprocal cooperation with humans but exploitation of computers by defection was associated with activation in the left amygdala. Amygdala activation was also positively and negatively correlated with a preference change for human partners following tit-for-tat and random strategies, respectively. The correlated activation represented the intensity of positive feeling toward reciprocal and negative feeling toward non-reciprocal partners, and so reflected reciprocity in social interaction. Reciprocity in social interaction, however, might plausibly be misinterpreted and so we also examined the neural coding of insight into the reciprocity of partners. Those with and without insight revealed differential brain activation across the reward-related circuitry (i.e., the right middle dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and dorsal caudate) and theory of mind (ToM) regions [i.e., ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) and precuneus]. Among differential activations, activation in the precuneus, which accompanied deactivation of the VMPFC, was specific to those without insight into human partners who were engaged in a tit-for-tat strategy. This asymmetric (de)activation might involve specific contributions of ToM regions to the human search for reciprocity. Consequently, the intensity of emotion attached to human reciprocity was represented in the amygdala, whereas insight into the reciprocity of others was reflected in activation across the reward-related and ToM regions. This suggests the critical role of mentalizing, which was not equated with reward expectation during social interactions.

  18. Neural correlate of human reciprocity in social interactions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shiro eSakaiya

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Reciprocity plays a key role maintaining cooperation in society. However, little is known about the neural process that underpins human reciprocity during social interactions. Our neuroimaging study manipulated partner identity (computer, human and strategy (random, tit-for-tat in repeated prisoner’s dilemma games and investigated the neural correlate of reciprocal interaction with humans. Reciprocal cooperation with humans but exploitation of computers by defection was associated with activation in the left amygdala. Amygdala activation was also positively and negatively correlated with a preference change for human partners following tit-for-tat and random strategies, respectively. The correlated activation represented the intensity of positive feeling toward reciprocal and negative feeling toward non-reciprocal partners, and so reflected reciprocity in social interaction. Reciprocity in social interaction, however, might plausibly be misinterpreted and so we also examined the neural coding of insight into the reciprocity of partners. Those with and without insight revealed differential brain activation across the reward-related circuitry (i.e., the right middle dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and dorsal caudate and theory of mind (ToM regions (i.e., ventromedial prefrontal cortex [VMPFC] and precuneus. Among differential activations, activation in the precuneus, which accompanied deactivation of the VMPFC, was specific to those without insight into human partners who were engaged in a tit-for-tat strategy. This asymmetric (deactivation might involve specific contributions of ToM regions to the human search for reciprocity. Consequently, the intensity of emotion attached to human reciprocity was represented in the amygdala, whereas insight into the reciprocity of others was reflected in activation across the reward-related and ToM regions. This suggests the critical role of mentalizing, which was not equated with reward expectation during

  19. Antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) and antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) of breast cancer cells mediated by bispecific antibody, MDX-210.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, M; Wallace, P K; Keler, T; Deo, Y M; Akewanlop, C; Hayes, D F

    1999-02-01

    MDX-210 is a bispecific antibody (BsAb) with specificity for both the proto-oncogene product of HER-2/neu (c-erbB-2) and FcgammaRI (CD64). HER-2/neu is overexpressed in malignant tissue of approximately 30% of patients with breast cancer, and FcgammaRI is expressed on human monocytes, macrophages, and IFN-gamma activated granulocytes. We investigated phagocytosis and cytolysis of cultured human breast cancer cells by human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) mediated by BsAb MDX-210, its partially humanized derivative (MDX-H210), and its parent MoAb 520C9 (anti-HER-2/neu) under various conditions. Purified monocytes were cultured with GM-CSF, M-CSF, or no cytokine for five or six days. Antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) and cytolysis (ADCC) assays were performed with the MDM and HER-2/neu positive target cells (SK-BR-3). ADCP was measured by two-color fluorescence flow cytometry using PKH2 (green fluorescent dye) and phycoerythrin-conjugated (red) monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) against human CD14 and CD11b. ADCC was measured with a non-radioactive LDH detection kit. Both BsAb MDX-210 (via FcgammaRI) and MoAb 520C9 (mouse IgG1, via FcgammaRII) mediated similar levels of ADCP and ADCC. ADCP mediated by BsAb MDX-H210 was identical to that mediated by BsAb MDX-210. Confocal microscopy demonstrated that dual-labeled cells represented true phagocytosis. Both ADCP and ADCC were higher when MDM were pre-incubated with GM-CSF than when incubated with M-CSF. BsAb MDX-210 is as active in vitro as the parent MoAb 520C9 in inducing both phagocytosis and cytolysis of MDM. MDX-210 and its partially humanized derivative, MDX-H210, mediated similar levels of ADCP. GM-CSF appears to superior to M-CSF in inducing MDM-mediated ADCC and ADCP. These studies support the ongoing clinical investigations of BsAb MDX-210 and its partially humanized derivative.

  20. Tight correlation between expression of the Forkhead transcription factor FOXM1 and HER2 in human breast cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hartmann Arndt

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background FOXM1 regulates expression of cell cycle related genes that are essential for progression into DNA replication and mitosis. Consistent with its role in proliferation, elevated expression of FOXM1 has been reported in a variety of human tumour entities. FOXM1 is a gene of interest because recently chemical inhibitors of FOXM1 were described to limit proliferation and induce apoptosis in cancer cells in vitro, indicating that FOXM1 inhibitors could represent useful anticancer therapeutics. Methods Using immunohistochemistry (IHC we systematically analysed FOXM1 expression in human invasive breast carcinomas (n = 204 and normal breast tissues (n = 46 on a tissue microarray. Additionally, using semiquantitative realtime PCR, a collection of paraffin embedded normal (n = 12 and cancerous (n = 25 breast tissue specimens as well as benign (n = 3 and malignant mammary cell lines (n = 8 were investigated for FOXM1 expression. SPSS version 14.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results FOXM1 was found to be overexpressed in breast cancer in comparison to normal breast tissue both on the RNA and protein level (e.g. 8.7 fold as measured by realtime PCR. We found a significant correlation between FOXM1 expression and the HER2 status determined by HER2 immunohistochemistry (P P = 0.110. Conclusion FOXM1 may represent a novel breast tumour marker with prognostic significance that could be included into multi-marker panels for breast cancer. Interestingly, we found a positive correlation between FOXM1 expression and HER2 status, pointing to a potential role of FOXM1 as a new drug target in HER2 resistant breast tumour, as FOXM1 inhibitors for cancer treatment were described recently. Further studies are underway to analyse the potential interaction between FOXM1 and HER2, especially whether FOXM1 directly activates the HER2 promoter.

  1. Flavonoid C-glucosides derived from flax straw extracts reduce human breast cancer cell growth in vitro and induce apoptosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magdalena Czemplik

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Flax straw of flax varieties that are grown for oil production is a byproduct which represents a considerable biomass source. Therefore its potential application for human use is of high interest. Our research has revealed that flax straw is rich in flavonoid C-glucosides, including vitexin, orientin and isoorientin. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity and possible proapoptotic effect of flax straw derived C-glucosides of flavonoids in the human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7. The effects of flax straw derived flavonoid C-glucosides on cell proliferation of MCF-7 cells were evaluated by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT and sulforhodamine B (SRB assays. The expression of apoptosis-related genes was assessed by real-time PCR. Our data revealed that flax C-glucosides as well as pure compounds are cytotoxic towards MCF-7 cells and inhibit their proliferation. Moreover, the induction of apoptosis was correlated with the changes in the mRNA level of pro-apoptotic genes. Increased expression of bax and caspase-7, -8, and -9 and decreased mRNA expression of bcl-2 was observed, whereas the mRNA levels of p53 and mdm2 were not altered. These results clearly demonstrated that flax straw metabolites effectively induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in human breast adenocarcinoma cells.

  2. Alterations of ubiquitin related proteins in the pathology and development of schizophrenia: Evidence from human and animal studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrews, Jessica L; Goodfellow, Frederic J; Matosin, Natalie; Snelling, Mollie K; Newell, Kelly A; Huang, Xu-Feng; Fernandez-Enright, Francesca

    2017-07-01

    Gene expression analyses in post-mortem schizophrenia brains suggest that a number of ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) genes are associated with schizophrenia; however the status of UPS proteins in the schizophrenia brain is largely unknown. Ubiquitin related proteins are inherently involved in memory, neuronal survival and morphology, which are processes implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia. We examined levels of five UPS proteins (Protein Inhibitor of Activated STAT2 [PIAS2], F-Box and Leucine rich repeat protein 21 [FBXL21], Mouse Double Minute 2 homolog [MDM2], Ubiquitin Carboxyl-Terminal Hydrolase-L1 [UCHL1] and Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzyme E2D1 [UBE2D1]) involved in these neuronal processes, within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of post-mortem schizophrenia subjects and matched controls (n = 30/group), in addition to across neurodevelopmental time-points (juvenile, adolescent and adult stages of life), utilizing a well-established neurodevelopmental phencyclidine (PCP) animal model of schizophrenia. We observed significant reductions in PIAS2, FBXL21 and MDM2 in schizophrenia subjects compared to controls (p-values ranging from 0.002 to 0.004). In our developmental PCP model, MDM2 protein was significantly reduced in adult PCP-treated rats compared to controls (p = 0.034). Additionally, FBXL21 (p = 0.022) and UCHL1 (p = 0.022) were significantly decreased, whilst UBE2D1 was increased (p = 0.022), in juvenile phencyclidine-treated rats compared to controls. This is the first study reporting alterations of UPS proteins in post-mortem human schizophrenia subjects and in a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia. The findings from this study provide strong support for a role of these UPS proteins in the pathology and development of schizophrenia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. BMPR2 inhibition induced apoptosis and autophagy via destabilization of XIAP in human chondrosarcoma cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiao, G; Guo, W; Ren, T; Lu, Q; Sun, Y; Liang, W; Ren, C; Yang, K; Sun, K

    2014-01-01

    Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are multifunctional proteins, and their receptors (BMPRs) have crucial roles in the process of signaling. However, their function in cancer is somewhat inconsistent. It has been demonstrated that more prevalent expression of bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2) has been detected in dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas than conventional chondrosarcomas. Here, we find that BMPR2 inhibition induces apoptosis and autophagy of chondrosarcoma. We found that BMPR2 expression was correlated with the clinicopathological features of chondrosarcomas, and could predict the treatment outcome. Knockdown of BMPR2 by small interfering RNA results in growth inhibition in chondrosarcoma cells. Silencing BMPR2 promoted G2/M cell cycle arrest, induced chondrosarcoma cell apoptosis through caspase-3-dependent pathway via repression of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) and induced autophagy of chondrosarcoma cells via XIAP-Mdm2-p53 pathway. Inhibition of autophagy induced by BMPR2 small interfering RNA (siBMPR2) sensitized chondrosarcoma cells to siBMPR2-induced apoptotic cell death, suggesting that autophagy has a protective role for chondrosarcoma cells in context of siBMPR2-induced apoptotic cell death. In vivo tumorigenicity assay in mice indicated that inhibition of BMPR2 reduced tumor growth. Taken together, our results suggest that BMPR2 has a significant role in the tumorigenesis of chondrosarcoma, and could be an important prognostic marker for chondrosarcoma. BMPR2 inhibition could eventually provide a promising therapy for chondrosarcoma treatment. PMID:25501832

  4. High expression of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 2C (UBE2C) correlates with nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen, Zhihua; Guo, Junli; Jie, Wei; Jiang, Xiaofan; Zeng, Chao; Zheng, Shaojiang; Luo, Botao; Zeng, Yumei; Ding, Ranran; Jiang, Hanguo; He, Qiyi

    2013-01-01

    Overexpression of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 2C (UBE2C) has been detected in many types of human cancers, and is correlated with tumor malignancy. However, the role of UBE2C in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of aberrant UBE2C expression in the progression of human NPC. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to detect UBE2C protein in clinical samples of NPC and benign nasopharyngeal tissues, and the association of UBE2C expression with patient clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed. UBEC2 expression profiles were evaluated in cell lines representing varying differentiated stages of NPC and immortalized nasopharyngeal epithelia NP-69 cells using quantitative RT-PCR, western blotting and fluorescent staining. Furthermore, UBE2C was knocked down using RNA interference in these cell lines and proliferation and cell cycle distribution was investigated. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that UBE2C protein expression levels were higher in NPC tissues than in benign nasopharyngeal tissues (P<0.001). Moreover, high UBE2C protein expression was positively correlated with tumor size (P=0.017), lymph node metastasis (P=0.016) and distant metastasis (P=0.015) in NPC patients. In vitro experiments demonstrated that UBE2C expression levels were inversely correlated with the degree of differentiation of NPC cell lines, whereas UBE2C displayed low level of expression in NP-69 cells. Knockdown of UBE2C led to significant arrest at the S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle, and decreased cell proliferation was observed in poorly-differentiated CNE2Z NPC cells and undifferentiated C666-1 cells, but not in well-differentiated CNE1 and immortalized NP-69 cells. Our findings suggest that high expression of UBE2C in human NPC is closely related to tumor malignancy, and may be a potential marker for NPC progression

  5. Correlation between discharged worms and fecal egg counts in human clonorchiasis.

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    Jae-Hwan Kim

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Stool examination by counting eggs per gram of feces (EPGs is the best method to estimate worm burden of Clonorchis sinensis in infected humans. The present study investigated a correlation between EPGs and worm burden in human clonorchiasis. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A total of 60 residents, 50 egg-positive and 10 egg-negative, in Sancheong-gun, Korea, participated in this worm collection trial in 2006-2009. They were diagnosed by egg positivity in feces using the Kato-Katz method. After administration of praziquantel, they were purged with cathartics on the next day, and then discharged adult worms were collected from their feces. Their EPGs ranged from 0 to 65,544. Adult worms of C. sinensis were collected from 17 egg-positive cases, and the number of worms ranged from 1 to 114 in each individual. A positive correlation between EPGs and numbers of worms was demonstrated (r = 0.681, P<0.001. Worm recovery rates were 9.7% in cases of EPGs 1-1,000 and 73.7% in those of EPGs over 1,000. No worms were detected from egg-negative subjects. Maximum egg count per worm per day was roughly estimated 3,770 in a subject with EPGs 2,664 and 106 collected worms. CONCLUSIONS: The numbers of the worms are significantly correlated with the egg counts in human clonorchiasis. It is estimated that at least 110 worms are infected in a human body with EPGs around 3,000, and egg productivity of a worm per day is around 4,000.

  6. Human intrahepatic ILC2 are IL-13positive amphiregulinpositive and their frequency correlates with model of end stage liver disease score.

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    Hannah C Jeffery

    Full Text Available Innate lymphoid cells (ILC have been implicated in the initiation of inflammation and fibrosis in mice. However, ILC have not been characterized in inflamed human liver tissue.Human intrahepatic lymphocytes were isolated by mechanical digestion and phenotyped by flow cytometry. Conditioned medium from cultures of primary human biliary epithelial cells, stellate cells, fibroblasts and inflamed human liver tissue was used to model the effects of the inflammatory liver environment of ILC phenotype and function.All three ILC subsets were present in the human liver, with the ILC1 (CRTH2negCD117neg subset constituting around 70% of intrahepatic ILCs. Both NCRpos (NKp44+ and NCRneg ILC3 (CRTH2negCD117pos subsets were also detected. ILC2 (CRTH2pos frequency correlated with disease severity measured by model of end stage liver disease (MELD scoring leading us to study this subset in more detail. ILC2 displayed a tissue resident CD69+ CD161++ phenotype and expressed chemokine receptor CCR6 allowing them to respond to CCL20 secreted by cholangiocytes and stellate cells. ILC2 expressed integrins VLA-5 and VLA-6 and the IL-2 and IL-7 cytokine receptors CD25 and CD127 although IL-2 and IL-7 were barely detectable in inflamed liver tissue. Although biliary epithelial cells secrete IL-33, intrahepatic ILC2 had low expression of the ST2 receptor. Intrahepatic ILC2 secreted the immunoregulatory and repair cytokines IL-13 and amphiregulin.Intrahepatic ILC2 express receptors allowing them to be recruited to bile ducts in inflamed portal tracts. Their frequencies increased with worsening liver function. Their secretion of IL-13 and amphiregulin suggests they may be recruited to promote resolution and repair and thereby they may contribute to ongoing fibrogenesis in liver disease.

  7. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 of human carotid atherosclerotic plaques promotes platelet activation. Correlation with ischaemic events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenti, Massimo; Falcinelli, Emanuela; Pompili, Marcella; de Rango, Paola; Conti, Valentina; Guglielmini, Giuseppe; Momi, Stefania; Corazzi, Teresa; Giordano, Giuseppe; Gresele, Paolo

    2014-06-01

    Purified active matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is able to promote platelet aggregation. We aimed to assess the role of MMP-2 expressed in atherosclerotic plaques in the platelet-activating potential of human carotid plaques and its correlation with ischaemic events. Carotid plaques from 81 patients undergoing endarterectomy were tested for pro-MMP-2 and TIMP-2 content by zymography and ELISA. Plaque extracts were incubated with gel-filtered platelets from healthy volunteers for 2 minutes before the addition of a subthreshold concentration of thrombin receptor activating peptide-6 (TRAP-6) and aggregation was assessed. Moreover, platelet deposition on plaque extracts immobilised on plastic coverslips under high shear-rate flow conditions was measured. Forty-three plaque extracts (53%) potentiated platelet aggregation (+233 ± 26.8%), an effect prevented by three different specific MMP-2 inhibitors (inhibitor II, TIMP-2, moAb anti-MMP-2). The pro-MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio of plaques potentiating platelet aggregation was significantly higher than that of plaques not potentiating it (3.67 ± 1.21 vs 1.01 ± 0.43, p<0.05). Moreover, the platelet aggregation-potentiating effect, the active-MMP-2 content and the active MMP-2/pro-MMP-2 ratio of plaque extracts were significantly higher in plaques from patients who developed a subsequent major cardiovascular event. In conclusion, atherosclerotic plaques exert a prothrombotic effect by potentiating platelet activation due to their content of MMP-2; an elevated MMP-2 activity in plaques is associated with a higher rate of subsequent ischaemic cerebrovascular events.

  8. Hedging Your Bets by Learning Reward Correlations in the Human Brain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wunderlich, Klaus; Symmonds, Mkael; Bossaerts, Peter; Dolan, Raymond J.

    2011-01-01

    Summary Human subjects are proficient at tracking the mean and variance of rewards and updating these via prediction errors. Here, we addressed whether humans can also learn about higher-order relationships between distinct environmental outcomes, a defining ecological feature of contexts where multiple sources of rewards are available. By manipulating the degree to which distinct outcomes are correlated, we show that subjects implemented an explicit model-based strategy to learn the associated outcome correlations and were adept in using that information to dynamically adjust their choices in a task that required a minimization of outcome variance. Importantly, the experimentally generated outcome correlations were explicitly represented neuronally in right midinsula with a learning prediction error signal expressed in rostral anterior cingulate cortex. Thus, our data show that the human brain represents higher-order correlation structures between rewards, a core adaptive ability whose immediate benefit is optimized sampling. PMID:21943609

  9. Expression of CAR in SW480 and HepG2 cells during G1 is associated with cell proliferation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osabe, Makoto; Sugatani, Junko; Takemura, Akiko; Yamazaki, Yasuhiro; Ikari, Akira; Kitamura, Naomi; Negishi, Masahiko; Miwa, Masao

    2008-01-01

    Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) is a transcription factor to regulate the expression of several genes related to drug-metabolism. Here, we demonstrate that CAR protein accumulates during G1 in human SW480 and HepG2 cells. After the G1/S phase transition, CAR protein levels decreased, and CAR was hardly detected in cells by the late M phase. CAR expression in both cell lines was suppressed by RNA interference-mediated suppression of CDK4. Depletion of CAR by RNA interference in both cells and by hepatocyte growth factor treatment in HepG2 cells resulted in decreased MDM2 expression that led to p21 upregulation and repression of HepG2 cell growth. Thus, our results demonstrate that CAR expression is an early G1 event regulated by CDK4 that contributes to MDM2 expression; these findings suggest that CAR may influence the expression of genes involved in not only the metabolism of endogenous and exogenous substances but also in the cell proliferation

  10. HIF2A and IGF2 Expression Correlates in Human Neuroblastoma Cells and Normal Immature Sympathetic Neuroblasts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sofie Mohlin

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available During normal sympathetic nervous system (SNS development, cells of the ganglionic lineage can malignantly transform and develop into the childhood tumor neuroblastoma. Hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIFs mediate cellular responses during normal development and are central in the adaptation to oxygen shortage. HIFs are also implicated in the progression of several cancer forms, and high HIF-2α expression correlates with disseminated disease and poor outcome in neuroblastoma. During normal SNS development, HIF2A is transiently expressed in neuroblasts and chromaffin cells. SNS cells can, during development, be distinguished by distinct gene expression patterns, and insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2 is a marker of sympathetic chromaffin cells, whereas sympathetic neuroblasts lack IGF2 expression. Despite the neuronal derivation of neuroblastomas, we show that neuroblastoma cell lines and specimens express IGF2 and that expression of HIF2A and IGF2 correlates, with the strongest correlation in high-stage tumors. In neuroblastoma, both IGF2 and HIF2A are hypoxia-driven and knocking down IGF2 at hypoxia resulted in downregulated HIF2A levels. HIF-2α and IGF2 were strongly expressed in subsets of immature neuroblastoma cells, suggesting that these two genes could be co-expressed also at early stages of SNS development. We show that IGF2 is indeed expressed in sympathetic chain ganglia at embryonic week 6.5, a developmental stage when HIF-2α is present. These findings provide a rationale for the unexpected IGF2 expression in neuroblastomas and might suggest that IGF2 and HIF2A positive neuroblastoma cells are arrested at an embryonic differentiation stage corresponding to the stage when sympathetic chain ganglia begins to coalesce.

  11. Diagnosing cysts with correlation coefficient images from 2-dimensional freehand elastography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Booi, Rebecca C; Carson, Paul L; O'Donnell, Matthew; Richards, Michael S; Rubin, Jonathan M

    2007-09-01

    We compared the diagnostic potential of using correlation coefficient images versus elastograms from 2-dimensional (2D) freehand elastography to characterize breast cysts. In this preliminary study, which was approved by the Institutional Review Board and compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, we imaged 4 consecutive human subjects (4 cysts, 1 biopsy-verified benign breast parenchyma) with freehand 2D elastography. Data were processed offline with conventional 2D phase-sensitive speckle-tracking algorithms. The correlation coefficient in the cyst and surrounding tissue was calculated, and appearances of the cysts in the correlation coefficient images and elastograms were compared. The correlation coefficient in the cysts was considerably lower (14%-37%) than in the surrounding tissue because of the lack of sufficient speckle in the cysts, as well as the prominence of random noise, reverberations, and clutter, which decorrelated quickly. Thus, the cysts were visible in all correlation coefficient images. In contrast, the elastograms associated with these cysts each had different elastographic patterns. The solid mass in this study did not have the same high decorrelation rate as the cysts, having a correlation coefficient only 2.1% lower than that of surrounding tissue. Correlation coefficient images may produce a more direct, reliable, and consistent method for characterizing cysts than elastograms.

  12. Structure-activity relationships of bumetanide derivatives: correlation between diuretic activity in dogs and inhibition of the human NKCC2A transporter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lykke, Kasper; Töllner, Kathrin; Römermann, Kerstin; Feit, Peter W; Erker, Thomas; MacAulay, Nanna; Löscher, Wolfgang

    2015-06-23

    The N-K-Cl cotransporters (NKCCs) mediate the coupled, electroneutral movement of Na + , K + and Cl - ions across cell membranes. There are two isoforms of this cation co-transporter, NKCC1 and NKCC2. NKCC2 is expressed primarily in the kidney and is the target of diuretics such as bumetanide. Bumetanide was discovered by screening ∼5000 3-amino-5-sulfamoylbenzoic acid derivatives, long before NKCC2 was identified in the kidney. Therefore, structure-activity studies on effects of bumetanide derivatives on NKCC2 are not available. In this study, the effect of a series of diuretically active bumetanide derivatives was investigated on human NKCC2 variant A (hNKCC2A) expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Bumetanide blocked hNKCC2A transport with an IC 50 of 4 μM. There was good correlation between the diuretic potency of bumetanide and its derivatives in dogs and their inhibition of hNKCC2A (r 2 = 0.817; P human NKCC2 splice variants, and may lead to the discovery of novel high-ceiling diuretics. © 2015 The British Pharmacological Society.

  13. Correlation of human S100A12 (EN-RAGE) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein as gingival crevicular fluid and serum markers of inflammation in chronic periodontitis and type 2 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pradeep, A R; Martande, Santosh S; Singh, Sonender Pal; Suke, Deepak Kumar; Raju, Arjun P; Naik, Savitha B

    2014-04-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate the levels and correlation of human S100A12 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and serum in chronic periodontitis (CP) subjects with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). A total of 44 subjects were divided into three groups: group 1 had 10 periodontally healthy subjects, group 2 consisted of 17 CP subjects and group 3 had 17 type 2 DM subjects with CP. GCF and serum levels of human S100A12 and hs-CRP were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoturbidimetric analysis, respectively. The clinical outcomes evaluated were gingival index, probing depth and clinical attachment level and the correlations of the two inflammatory mediators with clinical parameters were evaluated. Both human S100A12 and hs-CRP levels increased from group 1 to group 2 to group 3. The GCF and serum values of both these inflammatory mediators correlated positively with each other and with the periodontal parameters evaluated (p < 0.05). Human S100A12 and hs-CRP can be considered as possible GCF and serum markers of inflammatory activity in CP and DM.

  14. Dynamically tunable slow light based on plasmon induced transparency in disk resonators coupled MDM waveguide system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Xu; Wang, Tao; Liu, Bo; He, Yu; Tang, Jian; Li, Xiaoming

    2015-01-01

    Ultrafast and low-power dynamically tunable single channel and multichannel slow light based on plasmon induced transparencies (PITs) in disk resonators coupled to a metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) waveguide system with a nonlinear optical Kerr medium is investigated both numerically and analytically. A coupled-mode theory (CMT) is introduced to analyze this dynamically tunable single channel slow light structure. Multichannel slow light is realized in this plasmonic waveguide structure based on a bright–dark mode coupling mechanism. In order to reduce the pump intensity and obtain ultrafast response time, the traditional nonlinear Kerr material is replaced by monolayer graphene. It is found that the magnitude of the single PIT window can be controlled between 0.08 and 0.48, while the corresponding group index is controlled between 14.5 and 2.0 by dynamically decreasing pump intensity from 11.7 to 4.4 MW cm −2 . Moreover, the phase shift multiplication effect is found in this structure. This work paves a new way towards the realization of highly integrated optical circuits and networks, especially for wavelength-selective, all-optical storage and nonlinear devices. (paper)

  15. Connectedness to Nature and to Humanity: their association and personality correlates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kibeom; Ashton, Michael C.; Choi, Julie; Zachariassen, Kayla

    2015-01-01

    People differ in the extent to which they identify with humans beyond their ingroup and with non-human living things. We refer to the former as the Connectedness to Humanity (CH) and to the latter as the Connectedness to Nature (CN). In a sample of 324 undergraduate students, CH and CN were operationalized using the Identification with All Humanity Scale (McFarland et al., 2012) and the CN Scale (Mayer and Frantz, 2004), respectively. These variables correlated moderately with each other (r = 0.44) and shared Openness to Experience and Honesty–Humility as their primary personality correlates. CN was found to play an important role in mediating the relationships between the two personality variables and some specific pro-environmental/pro-animal attitudes and ecological behaviors. PMID:26257669

  16. Selection of suitable prodrug candidates for in vivo studies via in vitro studies; the correlation of prodrug stability in between cell culture homogenates and human tissue homogenates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsume, Yasuhiro; Amidon, Gordon L

    2012-01-01

    To determine the correlations/discrepancies of drug stabilities between in the homogenates of human culture cells and of human tissues. Amino acid/dipeptide monoester prodrugs of floxuridine were chosen as the model drugs. The stabilities (half-lives) of floxuridine prodrugs in human tissues (pancreas, liver, and small intestine) homogenates were obtained and compared with ones in cell culture homogenates (AcPC-1, Capan-2, and Caco-2 cells) as well as human liver microsomes. The correlations of prodrug stability in human small bowel tissue homogenate vs. Caco-2 cell homogenate, human liver tissue homogenate vs. human liver microsomes, and human pancreatic tissue homogenate vs. pancreatic cell, AsPC-1 and Capan-2, homogenates were examined. The stabilities of floxuridine prodrugs in human small bowel homogenate exhibited the great correlation to ones in Caco-2 cell homogenate (slope = 1.0-1.3, r2 = 0.79-0.98). The stability of those prodrugs in human pancreas tissue homogenate also exhibited the good correlations to ones in AsPC-1 and Capan-2 cells homogenates (slope = 0.5-0.8, r2 = 0.58-0.79). However, the correlations of prodrug stabilities between in human liver tissue homogenates and in human liver microsomes were weaker than others (slope = 1.3-1.9, r2 = 0.07-0.24). The correlations of drug stabilities in cultured cell homogenates and in human tissue homogenates were compared. Those results exhibited wide range of correlations between in cell homogenate and in human tissue homogenate (r2 = 0.07 - 0.98). Those in vitro studies in cell homogenates would be good tools to predict drug stabilities in vivo and to select drug candidates for further developments. In the series of experiments, 5'-O-D-valyl-floxuridine and 5'-O-L-phenylalanyl-L-tyrosyl-floxuridine would be selected as candidates of oral drug targeting delivery for cancer chemotherapy due to their relatively good stabilities compared to other tested prodrugs.

  17. LACTB, a novel epigenetic silenced tumor suppressor, inhibits colorectal cancer progression by attenuating MDM2-mediated p53 ubiquitination and degradation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Kaixuan; Chen, Xiaoxiang; Hu, Xiuxiu; Liu, Xiangxiang; Xu, Tao; Sun, Huiling; Pan, Yuqin; He, Bangshun; Wang, Shukui

    2018-06-13

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common aggressive malignancies. Like other solid tumors, inactivation of tumor suppressor genes and activation of oncogenes occur during CRC development and progression. Recently, a novel tumor suppressor, LACTB, was proposed to inhibit tumor progression, but the functional and clinical significance of this tumor suppressor in CRC remains unexplored. Herein, we found LACTB was significantly downregulated in CRC due to promoter methylation and histone deacetylation, which was associated with metastasis and advanced clinical stage. CRC patients with low LACTB expression had poorer overall survival and LACTB also determined to be an independent prognostic factor for poorer outcome. Ectopic expression of LACTB suppressed CRC cells proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro and inhibited CRC growth and metastasis in vivo, while knockout of LACTB by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technique resulted in an opposite phenotype. Interestingly, LACTB could exert antitumorigenic effect only in HCT116 and HCT8 cells harboring wild-type TP53, but not in HT29 and SW480 cells harboring mutant TP53 or HCT116 p53 -/- cells. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that LACTB could directly bind to the C terminus of p53 to inhibit p53 degradation by preventing MDM2 from interacting with p53. Moreover, ablation of p53 attenuated the antitumorigenic effects of LACTB overexpression in CRC. Collectively, our findings successfully demonstrate for the first time that LACTB is a novel epigenetic silenced tumor suppressor through modulating the stability of p53, supporting the pursuit of LACTB as a potential therapeutic target for CRC.

  18. A point mutation of human p53, which was not detected as a mutation by a yeast functional assay, led to apoptosis but not p21Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1 expression in response to ionizing radiation in a human osteosarcoma cell line, Saos-2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okaichi, Kumio; Wang Lihong; Sasaki, Ji-ichiro; Saya, Hideyuki; Tada, Mitsuhiro; Okumura, Yutaka

    1999-01-01

    Purpose: The 123A point mutation of p53 showed increased radiosensitivity, whereas other mutations (143A, 175H, and 273H) were not affected. To determine the reason for increased radiosensitivity of the 123A mutation, the response of the transformant of 123A mutation to ionizing radiation (IR) was examined and compared to those of transformants with the wild type p53 or other point mutations (143A, 175H, and 273H). Methods and Materials: Stable transformants with a mutant or wild type p53 made by introducing cDNA into the human osteosarcoma cell line, Saos-2, which lacks an endogenous p53 were used. The transcriptional activity of mutant p53 was examined using a yeast functional assay. The transformants were examined for the accumulation of p53, the induction of p21 Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1 (hereafter referred to as p21), and the other response of p53-responsive genes (MDM2, Bax, and Bcl-2) by Western blotting. Apoptosis was analyzed by detection of DNA fragmentation. Results: The 123A point mutation of p53 was detected as a wild type in the yeast functional assay. The 123A mutant accumulated p53 in response to IR. The 123A mutant did not induce p21, but normally responded to MDM2, Bax, and Bcl-2. The 123A mutant entered apoptosis earlier than the wild type p53 transformant, and induced Fas at earlier in response to IR. Conclusion: The 123A mutant led to apoptosis, but not p21 expression in response to IR. The occurrence of apoptosis, but not induction of p21, corresponded to the radiosensitivity in the transformant. The early occurrence of apoptosis in 123A transformants may depend on the early induction of Fas

  19. Correlation of serum unconjugated oestriol to red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate levels in diabetic pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madsen, H; Ditzel, J

    1983-03-01

    In order to evaluate the possible underlying factors for the increase in red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate content observed in late diabetic pregnancy, its relationship with serum unconjugated oestriol, human placental lactogen, haemoglobin and hydrogen ion concentrations was investigated in 42 pregnant diabetic women. A significant correlation was found between red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and serum unconjugated oestriol (r = 0.54, p less than 0.001), whereas no correlation was present between 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and the following variables: arterial pH, haemoglobin concentration and human placental lactogen. The content of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate correlated significantly with haemoglobin-oxygen affinity expressed as P50 at pH 7.4 (r = 0.34, p less than 0.05). The results of this study indicate that serum unconjugated oestriol may participate in the regulation of red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate content and thereby of the maternal blood oxygen release to the fetus.

  20. Correlation between Gene Expression and Osteoarthritis Progression in Human.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Leilei; Huang, Xiaobin; Karperien, Marcel; Post, Janine N

    2016-07-14

    Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial disease characterized by gradual degradation of joint cartilage. This study aimed to quantify major pathogenetic factors during OA progression in human cartilage. Cartilage specimens were isolated from OA patients and scored 0-5 according to the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) guidelines. Protein and gene expressions were measured by immunohistochemistry and qPCR, respectively. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays were used to detect apoptotic cells. Cartilage degeneration in OA is a gradual progress accompanied with gradual loss of collagen type II and a gradual decrease in mRNA expression of SOX9, ACAN and COL2A1. Expression of WNT antagonists DKK1 and FRZB was lost, while hypertrophic markers (RUNX2, COL10A1 and IHH) increased during OA progression. Moreover, DKK1 and FRZB negatively correlated with OA grading, while RUNX2 and IHH showed a significantly positive correlation with OA grading. The number of apoptotic cells was increased with the severity of OA. Taken together, our results suggested that genetic profiling of the gene expression could be used as markers for staging OA at the molecular level. This helps to understand the molecular pathology of OA and may lead to the development of therapies based on OA stage.

  1. Murine Double Minute 2 SNP T309G Polymorphism and Urinary Tract Cancer Risk

    OpenAIRE

    Ding, Hui; Dai, Yu; Ning, Zhongyun; Fan, Ning; Wang, Zhiping; Li, Pei; Zhang, Liyuan; Tao, Yan; Wang, Hanzhang

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Urinary tract cancer is a common cause of cancer-related death. The etiology and pathogenesis of urinary tract cancer remain unclear, with genetic and epigenetic factors playing an important role. Studies of the polymorphism of murine double minute 2 (MDM2) have shown inconclusive trends in the risk of urinary tract cancer. To clarify this inconsistency, we conducted updated meta-analyses to evaluate the role of MDM2 T309G polymorphism in urinary tract cancer susceptibility. Data sou...

  2. Identification of DNA methylation changes associated with human gastric cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Park Jung-Hoon

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Epigenetic alteration of gene expression is a common event in human cancer. DNA methylation is a well-known epigenetic process, but verifying the exact nature of epigenetic changes associated with cancer remains difficult. Methods We profiled the methylome of human gastric cancer tissue at 50-bp resolution using a methylated DNA enrichment technique (methylated CpG island recovery assay in combination with a genome analyzer and a new normalization algorithm. Results We were able to gain a comprehensive view of promoters with various CpG densities, including CpG Islands (CGIs, transcript bodies, and various repeat classes. We found that gastric cancer was associated with hypermethylation of 5' CGIs and the 5'-end of coding exons as well as hypomethylation of repeat elements, such as short interspersed nuclear elements and the composite element SVA. Hypermethylation of 5' CGIs was significantly correlated with downregulation of associated genes, such as those in the HOX and histone gene families. We also discovered long-range epigenetic silencing (LRES regions in gastric cancer tissue and identified several hypermethylated genes (MDM2, DYRK2, and LYZ within these regions. The methylation status of CGIs and gene annotation elements in metastatic lymph nodes was intermediate between normal and cancerous tissue, indicating that methylation of specific genes is gradually increased in cancerous tissue. Conclusions Our findings will provide valuable data for future analysis of CpG methylation patterns, useful markers for the diagnosis of stomach cancer, as well as a new analysis method for clinical epigenomics investigations.

  3. Predictive value of plasma β2-microglobulin on human body function and senescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, X-M; Cai, R; Yang, F; Zhang, Y-Y; Wang, X-G; Fu, S-L; Zhang, J-R

    2016-06-01

    To explore the correlation between plasma β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) as senescence factor with age, heart, liver and kidney function as well as the predictive value of β2-MG in human metabolism function and senescence. 387 cases of healthy people of different ages were selected and the automatic biochemical analyzer was used to test β2-MG in plasma based on immunoturbidimetry and also all biochemical indexes. The correlation between β2-MG and age, gender and all biochemical indexes was analyzed. β2-MG was positively correlated to age, r = 0.373; and the difference was of statistical significance (p human body function and anti-senescence and have significant basic research and clinical guidance values.

  4. A human gut phage catalog correlates the gut phageome with type 2 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yingfei; You, Xiaoyan; Mai, Guoqin; Tokuyasu, Taku; Liu, Chenli

    2018-02-01

    Substantial efforts have been made to link the gut bacterial community to many complex human diseases. Nevertheless, the gut phages are often neglected. In this study, we used multiple bioinformatic methods to catalog gut phages from whole-community metagenomic sequencing data of fecal samples collected from both type II diabetes (T2D) patients (n = 71) and normal Chinese adults (n = 74). The definition of phage operational taxonomic units (pOTUs) and identification of large phage scaffolds (n = 2567, ≥ 10 k) revealed a comprehensive human gut phageome with a substantial number of novel sequences encoding genes that were unrelated to those in known phages. Interestingly, we observed a significant increase in the number of gut phages in the T2D group and, in particular, identified 7 pOTUs specific to T2D. This finding was further validated in an independent dataset of 116 T2D and 109 control samples. Co-occurrence/exclusion analysis of the bacterial genera and pOTUs identified a complex core interaction between bacteria and phages in the human gut ecosystem, suggesting that the significant alterations of the gut phageome cannot be explained simply by co-variation with the altered bacterial hosts. Alterations in the gut bacterial community have been linked to the chronic disease T2D, but the role of gut phages therein is not well understood. This is the first study to identify a T2D-specific gut phageome, indicating the existence of other mechanisms that might govern the gut phageome in T2D patients. These findings suggest the importance of the phageome in T2D risk, which warrants further investigation.

  5. Correlation and comparison of Nb2 lymphoma cell bioassay with radioimmunoassay for human prolactin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subramanian, M.G.; Spirtos, N.J.; Moghissi, K.S.; Magyar, D.M.; Hayes, M.F.; Gala, R.R.

    1984-01-01

    Serum samples from groups of men and women with normal and elevated prolactin (PRL) levels were assayed by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and by Nb 2 lymphoma cell bioassay (BA) for the presence of PRL. Because the Nb 2 lymphoma cells respond to both PRL and growth hormone, BA for PRL activity was carried out before and after neutralization of growth hormone in the serum samples. There were excellent correlations between RIA and BA both in euprolactinemic and hyperprolactinemic subjects. On an absolute basis, RIA and BA values were similar in the euprolactinemic group (6.6 +/- 0.8 versus 6.2 +/- 1.0), whereas in the hyperprolactinemic group, RIA values were significantly higher than the BA results. The two assay systems also appeared to correlate better in women who were hyperprolactinemic, with obvious menstrual cycle disturbances, than in hyperprolactinemic women without menstrual cycle disturbances

  6. Correlation between Gene Expression and Osteoarthritis Progression in Human

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leilei Zhong

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Osteoarthritis (OA is a multifactorial disease characterized by gradual degradation of joint cartilage. This study aimed to quantify major pathogenetic factors during OA progression in human cartilage. Cartilage specimens were isolated from OA patients and scored 0–5 according to the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI guidelines. Protein and gene expressions were measured by immunohistochemistry and qPCR, respectively. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL assays were used to detect apoptotic cells. Cartilage degeneration in OA is a gradual progress accompanied with gradual loss of collagen type II and a gradual decrease in mRNA expression of SOX9, ACAN and COL2A1. Expression of WNT antagonists DKK1 and FRZB was lost, while hypertrophic markers (RUNX2, COL10A1 and IHH increased during OA progression. Moreover, DKK1 and FRZB negatively correlated with OA grading, while RUNX2 and IHH showed a significantly positive correlation with OA grading. The number of apoptotic cells was increased with the severity of OA. Taken together, our results suggested that genetic profiling of the gene expression could be used as markers for staging OA at the molecular level. This helps to understand the molecular pathology of OA and may lead to the development of therapies based on OA stage.

  7. Haemophilus ducreyi infection induces activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in nonpolarized but not in polarized human macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wei; Katz, Barry P; Bauer, Margaret E; Spinola, Stanley M

    2013-08-01

    Recognition of microbial infection by certain intracellular pattern recognition receptors leads to the formation of a multiprotein complex termed the inflammasome. Inflammasome assembly activates caspase-1 and leads to cleavage and secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and IL-18, which help control many bacterial pathogens. However, excessive inflammation mediated by inflammasome activation can also contribute to immunopathology. Here, we investigated whether Haemophilus ducreyi, a Gram-negative bacterium that causes the genital ulcer disease chancroid, activates inflammasomes in experimentally infected human skin and in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). Although H. ducreyi is predominantly extracellular during human infection, several inflammasome-related components were transcriptionally upregulated in H. ducreyi-infected skin. Infection of MDM with live, but not heat-killed, H. ducreyi induced caspase-1- and caspase-5-dependent processing and secretion of IL-1β. Blockage of H. ducreyi uptake by cytochalasin D significantly reduced the amount of secreted IL-1β. Knocking down the expression of the inflammasome components NLRP3 and ASC abolished IL-1β production. Consistent with NLRP3-dependent inflammasome activation, blocking ATP signaling, K(+) efflux, cathepsin B activity, and lysosomal acidification all inhibited IL-1β secretion. However, inhibition of the production and function of reactive oxygen species did not decrease IL-1β production. Polarization of macrophages to classically activated M1 or alternatively activated M2 cells abrogated IL-1β secretion elicited by H. ducreyi. Our study data indicate that H. ducreyi induces NLRP3 inflammasome activation via multiple mechanisms and suggest that the heterogeneity of macrophages within human lesions may modulate inflammasome activation during human infection.

  8. Neural correlates of heat-evoked pain memory in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Liping; Gui, Peng; Li, Lei; Ku, Yixuan; Bodner, Mark; Fan, Gaojie; Zhou, Yong-Di; Dong, Xiao-Wei

    2016-03-01

    The neural processes underlying pain memory are not well understood. To explore these processes, contact heat-evoked potentials (CHEPs) were recorded in humans with electroencephalography (EEG) technique during a delayed matching-to-sample task, a working memory task involving presentations of two successive painful heat stimuli (S-1 and S-2) with different intensities separated by a 2-s interval (the memorization period). At the end of the task, the subject was required to discriminate the stimuli by indicating which (S-1 or S-2) induced more pain. A control task was used, in which no active discrimination was required between stimuli. All event-related potential (ERP) analysis was aligned to the onset of S-1. EEG activity exhibited two successive CHEPs: an N2-P2 complex (∼400 ms after onset of S-1) and an ultralate component (ULC, ∼900 ms). The amplitude of the N2-P2 at vertex, but not the ULC, was significantly correlated with stimulus intensity in these two tasks, suggesting that the N2-P2 represents neural coding of pain intensity. A late negative component (LNC) in the frontal recording region was observed only in the memory task during a 500-ms period before onset of S-2. LNC amplitude differed between stimulus intensities and exhibited significant correlations with the N2-P2 complex. These indicate that the frontal LNC is involved in maintenance of intensity of pain in working memory. Furthermore, alpha-band oscillations observed in parietal recording regions during the late delay displayed significant power differences between tasks. This study provides in the temporal domain previously unidentified neural evidence showing the neural processes involved in working memory of painful stimuli. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  9. Fluorine-18 labelling of a novel series of chimeric, mdm2 oncogene targeting, peptide-pna oligomers using [18F]FPyME

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuhnast, B.; Hinnen, F.; Boisgard, R.; Tavitian, B.; Dolle, F.; Nielsen, P.

    2011-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows: Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) form a unique class of synthetic macromolecules, originally designed as ligands for the recognition of double stranded DNA, where the deoxyribose phosphate backbone of original DNA is replaced by a pseudo-peptide N-(2-aminoethyl)glycyl backbone, while retaining the nucleobases of DNA. PNAs have already showed promising therapeutic potential as antisense and anti-gene agents and are inspiring the development of a variety of research and diagnostic assays, including their use as imaging tools. Within our intensive programs of development of oligonucleotide-based probes for PET-imaging, a novel series of chimeric peptide-PNA oligomers has been designed as complementary antisense probes targeting a specific 15-base sequence located at the intron-exon junction of the pre-mRNA of the murine double minute (mdm2) oncogene. This gene codes for a p53 interacting protein that represses p53 transcriptional activity, and appears to be over expressed in several tumor types including soft tissue sarcomas and osteosarcomas as well as breast tumors. For in vivo 3D-imaging purposes, all oligomers include a cysteine thus providing a sulfhydryl function permitting prosthetic conjugation with maleimide-based reagents such as AlexaFluor680 R (AF680) for optical fluorescence imaging and [ 18 F]FPyME (1-[3-(2-[ 18 F]fluoropyridin-3-yloxy)propyl]pyrrole-2, 5-dione), a prosthetic reagent labeled with the positron-emitter fluorine-18 for PET imaging, which latter work is presented herein. Methods: [ 18 F]FPyME was prepared using a three-step radiochemical pathway already reported and includes an HPLC-purification (semi-preparative SiO 2 Zorbax R Rx-SIL, Hewlett Packard). [ 18 F]FPyME was conjugated with the peptide-PNA oligomers (PNA3132, PNA3133, and PNA3135, 0.25-0.30 micro-moles) in 1/9 (v:v) mixture (1 mL) of DMSO and 0.1 M aq. PBS (pH 8) at room temperature for 15 min. The [ 18 F]FPyME-conjugated products (c-[ 18 F

  10. Mitochondrial mass is inversely correlated to complete lipid oxidation in human myotubes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gaster, Michael

    2011-01-01

    Exercise increases while physical inactivity decrease mitochondrial content and oxidative capacity of skeletal muscles in vivo. It is unknown whether mitochondrial mass and substrate oxidation are related in non-contracting skeletal muscle. Mitochondrial mass, ATP, ADP, AMP, glucose and lipid......, basal glucose oxidation and incomplete lipid oxidation were significantly increased while complete lipid oxidation was lower. Mitochondrial mass was not correlated to glucose oxidation or incomplete lipid oxidation in human myotubes but inversely correlated to complete lipid oxidation. Thus within...... a stable energetic background, an increased mitochondrial mass in human myotubes was not positive correlated to an increased substrate oxidation as expected from skeletal muscles in vivo but surprisingly with a reduced complete lipid oxidation....

  11. Central nervous system lipocalin-type prostaglandin D2-synthase is correlated with orexigenic neuropeptides, visceral adiposity and markers of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in obese humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elias, E; Benrick, A; Behre, C J; Ekman, R; Zetterberg, H; Stenlöf, K; Wallenius, V

    2011-06-01

    Lipocalin-type prostaglandin D2-synthase (L-PGDS) is the main producer of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) in the central nervous system (CNS). Animal data suggest effects of central nervous L-PGDS in the regulation of food intake and obesity. No human data are available. We hypothesised that a role for CNS L-PGDS in metabolic function in humans would be reflected by correlations with known orexigenic neuropeptides. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples were retrieved from 26 subjects in a weight loss study, comprising a 3-week dietary lead-in followed by 12-weeks of leptin or placebo treatment. At baseline, CSF L-PGDS was positively correlated with neuropeptide Y (NPY) (ρ = 0.695, P fat distribution and central HPA axis mediators. The importance of these findings is unclear but could suggest a role for CSF L-PGDS in the regulation of visceral obesity by interaction with the neuroendocrine circuits regulating appetite and fat distribution. Further interventional studies will be needed to characterise these interactions in more detail. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Neuroendocrinology © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  12. Murine Double Minute 2 SNP T309G Polymorphism and Urinary Tract Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Hui; Dai, Yu; Ning, Zhongyun; Fan, Ning; Wang, Zhiping; Li, Pei; Zhang, Liyuan; Tao, Yan; Wang, Hanzhang

    2016-03-01

    Urinary tract cancer is a common cause of cancer-related death. The etiology and pathogenesis of urinary tract cancer remain unclear, with genetic and epigenetic factors playing an important role. Studies of the polymorphism of murine double minute 2 (MDM2) have shown inconclusive trends in the risk of urinary tract cancer.To clarify this inconsistency, we conducted updated meta-analyses to evaluate the role of MDM2 T309G polymorphism in urinary tract cancer susceptibility.Data sources were Pubmed (1966-May 2015), Chinese biomedicine literature database (1978-May 2015), and hand searching of the reference lists of included studies:(1) research categories case-control study or a nested case-control study; (2) information evaluating the association between the MDM2 SNP309 and urinary tract cancer risk; (3) studies with sufficient data to perform a meta-analysis.It included the use of odds ratios (ORs) to assess the strength of the association, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) give a sense of the precision of the estimate. We used I for the assessment of between-study heterogeneity, and publication bias was assessed using the funnel plot and the Egger test. Statistical analyses were performed by Review Manage, version 5.0 and Stata 11.0.A total of 18 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in our analyses. Overall, there was no statistical association between MDM2 SNP309 and prostate cancer risk for the allele contrast, the GG genotype, the recessive genetic model, the dominant genetic model, and prostate cancer risk in all subjects (OR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.87-1.05, P = 0.36; OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.75-1.15, P = 0.50; OR = 1.00, 95% CI 0.87-1.15, P = 0.99; OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.80-1.07, P = 0.30), and between MDM2 SNP309 and bladder cancer risk (the allele contrast: OR = 1.06, 95% CI 0.89-1.27, P = 0.50; the GG genotype: OR = 1.12, 95% CI 0.79-1.61, P = 0.52; the dominant genetic model: OR = 1.03, 95% CI 0

  13. Correlations between radiographic, magnetic resonance and histological examinations on the degeneration of human lumbar intervertebral discs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Delio Eulalio Martins

    Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: There is controversy regarding which imaging method is best for identifying early degenerative alterations in intervertebral discs. No correlations between such methods and histological finds are presented in the literature. The aim of this study was to correlate the thickness of intervertebral discs measured on simple radiographs with the degree of degeneration seen on magnetic resonance images and the histological findings relating to nerve ends inside the discs. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional correlation study on the lumbar spines of human cadavers, at Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp, São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: Ten lumbar spinal columns were extracted from human cadavers and subjected to magnetic resonance imaging and simple radiography. They were classified according to the degree of disc degeneration seen on magnetic resonance, and the thickness of the discs was measured on radiographs. The intervertebral discs were then extracted, embedded in paraffin and analyzed immunohistochemically with protein S100, and the nerve fibers were counted and classified. RESULTS: No correlation was observed between the thickness of the intervertebral discs and the degree of degeneration seen on magnetic resonance images. Only the uppermost lumbar discs (L1/L2 and L2/L3 presented a correlation between their thickness and type I and IV nerve endings. CONCLUSION: Reduced disc thickness is unrelated to increased presence of nerve ends in intervertebral discs, or to the degree of disc degeneration.

  14. p53 and bcl2 expression in malignant and premalignant lesions of uterine cervix and their correlation with human papilloma virus 16 and 18

    OpenAIRE

    Shailaja Shukla; Jasmita Dass; Mukta Pujani

    2014-01-01

    Background and Objective: Persistent high risk human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is probably the best predictor of increased risk of cervical cancer, but expression of certain markers of cell proliferation and apoptosis have been studied. The present study was conducted to evaluate the expression of p53 and bcl2 in premalignant and malignant lesions of cervix and its correlation with HPV type 16 and 18. Materials and Methods: The study comprised of 35 cases (including 24 prospective cases...

  15. Superior anti-tumor activity of the MDM2 antagonist idasanutlin and the Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax in p53 wild-type acute myeloid leukemia models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Lehmann

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Venetoclax, a small molecule BH3 mimetic which inhibits the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, and idasanutlin, a selective MDM2 antagonist, have both shown activity as single-agent treatments in pre-clinical and clinical studies in acute myeloid leukemia (AML. In this study, we deliver the rationale and molecular basis for the combination of idasanutlin and venetoclax for treatment of p53 wild-type AML. Methods The effect of idasanutlin and venetoclax combination on cell viability, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression was investigated in vitro using established AML cell lines. In vivo efficacy was demonstrated in subcutaneous and orthotopic xenograft models generated in female nude or non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID mice. Mode-of-action analyses were performed by means of cell cycle kinetic studies, RNA sequencing as well as western blotting experiments. Results Combination treatment with venetoclax and idasanutlin results in synergistic anti-tumor activity compared with the respective single-agent treatments in vitro, in p53 wild-type AML cell lines, and leads to strongly superior efficacy in vivo, in subcutaneous and orthotopic AML models. The inhibitory effects of idasanutlin were cell-cycle dependent, with cells arresting in G1 in consecutive cycles and the induction of apoptosis only evident after cells had gone through at least two cell cycles. Combination treatment with venetoclax removed this dependency, resulting in an acceleration of cell death kinetics. As expected, gene expression studies using RNA sequencing showed significant alterations to pathways associated with p53 signaling and cell cycle arrest (CCND1 pathway in response to idasanutlin treatment. Only few gene expression changes were observed for venetoclax treatment and combination treatment, indicating that their effects are mediated mainly at the post-transcriptional level. Protein expression studies demonstrated that

  16. Regulation of MDM2 Activity by Nucleolin

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-06-01

    plicated in the binding of HIV particles to CD4 cells. J. Biol. Chem. 273:21988–21997. 8. Carty, M. P., M. Zernik -Kobak, S. McGrath, and K. Dixon. 1994...replication products and not due to repair synthesis (Fig. 3D ). RPARPA2D is therefore functionally active in supporting DNA replication in vitro...Further intermediate RPA2 mutants were designed to roughly follow the phosphor- ylation pathway, as suggested by the data of Zernik -Kobak and colleagues

  17. Low Expression of DYRK2 (Dual Specificity Tyrosine Phosphorylation Regulated Kinase 2 Correlates with Poor Prognosis in Colorectal Cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haiyan Yan

    Full Text Available Dual-specificity tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 2 (DYRK2 is a member of dual-specificity kinase family, which could phosphorylate both Ser/Thr and Tyr substrates. The role of DYRK2 in human cancer remains controversial. For example, overexpression of DYRK2 predicts a better survival in human non-small cell lung cancer. In contrast, amplification of DYRK2 gene occurs in esophageal/lung adenocarcinoma, implying the role of DYRK2 as a potential oncogene. However, its clinical role in colorectal cancer (CRC has not been explored. In this study, we analyzed the expression of DYRK2 from Oncomine database and found that DYRK2 level is lower in primary or metastatic CRC compared to adjacent normal colon tissue or non-metastatic CRC, respectively, in 6 colorectal carcinoma data sets. The correlation between DYRK2 expression and clinical outcome in 181 CRC patients was also investigated by real-time PCR and IHC. DYRK2 expression was significantly down-regulated in colorectal cancer tissues compared with adjacent non-tumorous tissues. Functional studies confirmed that DYRK2 inhibited cell invasion and migration in both HCT116 and SW480 cells and functioned as a tumor suppressor in CRC cells. Furthermore, the lower DYRK2 levels were correlated with tumor sites (P = 0.023, advanced clinical stages (P = 0.006 and shorter survival in the advanced clinical stages. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that DYRK2 expression was an independent prognostic factor (P < 0.001. Taking all, we concluded that DYRK2 a novel prognostic biomarker of human colorectal cancer.

  18. Regulation of MDM2 Activity by Nucleolin

    Science.gov (United States)

    2005-06-01

    the mock- treated ceIlls (from 4.5 to 2.9%). In other words, over-expression of nucleolin stimulates apoptosis under normal growth conditions, but...yeast cells with PBS, and then incubated with P13S containing 0.5% Nonidet P-40. Cover- bI using 2-5- to 50-i.m glass beads in uracil RIPA buffer (50 mM...followed by incubation to bind the GST- PBS containing 0.5% Tween 20 and mounted onto glass slides, Fluorescent nucleolin proteins. After three washes with a

  19. Flow distributions and spatial correlations in human brain capillary networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorthois, Sylvie; Peyrounette, Myriam; Larue, Anne; Le Borgne, Tanguy

    2015-11-01

    The vascular system of the human brain cortex is composed of a space filling mesh-like capillary network connected upstream and downstream to branched quasi-fractal arterioles and venules. The distribution of blood flow rates in these networks may affect the efficiency of oxygen transfer processes. Here, we investigate the distribution and correlation properties of blood flow velocities from numerical simulations in large 3D human intra-cortical vascular network (10000 segments) obtained from an anatomical database. In each segment, flow is solved from a 1D non-linear model taking account of the complex rheological properties of blood flow in microcirculation to deduce blood pressure, blood flow and red blood cell volume fraction distributions throughout the network. The network structural complexity is found to impart broad and spatially correlated Lagrangian velocity distributions, leading to power law transit time distributions. The origins of this behavior (existence of velocity correlations in capillary networks, influence of the coupling with the feeding arterioles and draining veins, topological disorder, complex blood rheology) are studied by comparison with results obtained in various model capillary networks of controlled disorder. ERC BrainMicroFlow GA615102, ERC ReactiveFronts GA648377.

  20. ATP-dependent transport of statins by human and rat MRP2/Mrp2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ellis, Lucy C.J., E-mail: Luc_ellis@yahoo.co.uk [Section of Translational Medicine, Division of Applied Biology, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD (United Kingdom); Hawksworth, Gabrielle M. [Section of Translational Medicine, Division of Applied Biology, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD (United Kingdom); Weaver, Richard J. [Biologie Servier, Drug Safety Research Centre, 905 Route de Saran, 45520 Gidy (France)

    2013-06-01

    Multidrug resistance associated protein-2, MRP2 (human), Mrp2 (rat) are an efflux transporter, responsible for the transport of numerous endogenous and xenobiotic compounds including taurocholate, methotrexate and carboxydichlorofluorescein (CDF). The present study aims to characterise transport of statins by human and rat MRP2/Mrp2 using membrane and vesicle preparations. All statins tested (simvastatin, pravastatin, pitavastatin, fluvastatin, atorvastatin, lovastatin and rosuvastatin) stimulated vanadate-sensitive ATPase activity in membranes expressing human or rat MRP2/Mrp2, suggesting that all statins are substrates of human and rat MRP2/Mrp2. The substrate affinity (Km) of all statins for MRP2/Mrp2 was comparable and no correlation between lipophilicity (logD{sub 7.0}) and Km was seen. All statins also inhibited uptake of the fluorescent Mrp2 substrate, CDF (1 μM) into vesicles expressing human or rat MRP2/Mrp2 with similar IC{sub 50} values. Fitting of the inhibitory data to the hill slope equation, gave hill coefficients (h) of greater than one, suggesting that transport involved more than one binding site for inhibitors of MPR2 and Mrp2. We conclude that statins were transported by both human and rat MRP2/Mrp2 with similar affinity. Statins were also shown to compete with other substrates for transport by MRP2/Mrp2 and that this transport involved more than one binding site on the Mrp2/MRP2 protein. - Highlights: • We characterised MRP2 (human)/Mrp2 (rat)-mediated transport of statins. • We show statins were transported by human and rat MRP2/Mrp2. • Statins competed with a known substrate for transport by MRP2/Mrp2. • Competition involved more than one binding site on the MRP2/Mrp2 protein.

  1. ATP-dependent transport of statins by human and rat MRP2/Mrp2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellis, Lucy C.J.; Hawksworth, Gabrielle M.; Weaver, Richard J.

    2013-01-01

    Multidrug resistance associated protein-2, MRP2 (human), Mrp2 (rat) are an efflux transporter, responsible for the transport of numerous endogenous and xenobiotic compounds including taurocholate, methotrexate and carboxydichlorofluorescein (CDF). The present study aims to characterise transport of statins by human and rat MRP2/Mrp2 using membrane and vesicle preparations. All statins tested (simvastatin, pravastatin, pitavastatin, fluvastatin, atorvastatin, lovastatin and rosuvastatin) stimulated vanadate-sensitive ATPase activity in membranes expressing human or rat MRP2/Mrp2, suggesting that all statins are substrates of human and rat MRP2/Mrp2. The substrate affinity (Km) of all statins for MRP2/Mrp2 was comparable and no correlation between lipophilicity (logD 7.0 ) and Km was seen. All statins also inhibited uptake of the fluorescent Mrp2 substrate, CDF (1 μM) into vesicles expressing human or rat MRP2/Mrp2 with similar IC 50 values. Fitting of the inhibitory data to the hill slope equation, gave hill coefficients (h) of greater than one, suggesting that transport involved more than one binding site for inhibitors of MPR2 and Mrp2. We conclude that statins were transported by both human and rat MRP2/Mrp2 with similar affinity. Statins were also shown to compete with other substrates for transport by MRP2/Mrp2 and that this transport involved more than one binding site on the Mrp2/MRP2 protein. - Highlights: • We characterised MRP2 (human)/Mrp2 (rat)-mediated transport of statins. • We show statins were transported by human and rat MRP2/Mrp2. • Statins competed with a known substrate for transport by MRP2/Mrp2. • Competition involved more than one binding site on the MRP2/Mrp2 protein

  2. SLURP1 is a late marker of epidermal differentiation and is absent in Mal de Meleda

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Favre, Bertrand; Plantard, Laure; Aeschbach, Lorène

    2007-01-01

    and MDM skin. SLURP1 was found to be a marker of late differentiation, predominantly expressed in the granular layer of skin, notably the acrosyringium. Moreover, SLURP1 was also identified in several biological fluids such as sweat, saliva, tears, and urine from normal volunteers. In palmoplantar...... sections from MDM patients, as well as in their sweat, mutant SLURP1, including the new variant R71H-SLURP1, was either absent or barely detectable. Transfected human embryonic kidney 293T cells expressed the MDM mutant SLURP1 containing the single amino-acid substitution G86R but did not tolerate the MDM...

  3. Nuclear factor-kappaB activation correlates with better prognosis and Akt activation in human gastric cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Byung Lan; Lee, Hye Seung; Jung, Jieun; Cho, Sung Jin; Chung, Hee-Yong; Kim, Woo Ho; Jin, Young-Woo; Kim, Chong Soon; Nam, Seon Young

    2005-04-01

    Because the biological significance of constitutive nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation in human gastric cancer is unclear, we undertook this study to clarify the regulatory mechanism of NF-kappaB activation and its clinical significance. Immunohistochemistry for NF-kappaB/RelA was done on 290 human gastric carcinoma specimens placed on tissue array slides. The correlations between NF-kappaB activation and clinicopathologic features, prognosis, Akt activation, tumor suppressor gene expression, or Bcl-2 expression were analyzed. We also did luciferase reporter assay, Western blot analysis, and reverse transcription-PCR using the SNU-216 human gastric cancer cell line transduced with retroviral vectors containing constitutively active Akt or the NF-kappaB repressor mutant of IkappaBalpha. Nuclear expression of RelA was found in 18% of the gastric carcinomas and was higher in early-stage pathologic tumor-node-metastasis (P = 0.019). A negative correlation was observed between NF-kappaB activation and lymphatic invasion (P = 0.034) and a positive correlation between NF-kappaB activation and overall survival rate of gastric cancer patients (P = 0.0228). In addition, NF-kappaB activation was positively correlated with pAkt (P = 0.047), p16 (P = 0.004), adenomatous polyposis coli (P Smad4 (P = 0.002), and kangai 1 (P Akt. NF-kappaB activation was frequently observed in early-stage gastric carcinoma and was significantly correlated with better prognosis and Akt activation. These findings suggest that NF-kappaB activation is a valuable prognostic variable in gastric carcinoma.

  4. Principal Component Analysis Based Two-Dimensional (PCA-2D) Correlation Spectroscopy: PCA Denoising for 2D Correlation Spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, Young Mee

    2003-01-01

    Principal component analysis based two-dimensional (PCA-2D) correlation analysis is applied to FTIR spectra of polystyrene/methyl ethyl ketone/toluene solution mixture during the solvent evaporation. Substantial amount of artificial noise were added to the experimental data to demonstrate the practical noise-suppressing benefit of PCA-2D technique. 2D correlation analysis of the reconstructed data matrix from PCA loading vectors and scores successfully extracted only the most important features of synchronicity and asynchronicity without interference from noise or insignificant minor components. 2D correlation spectra constructed with only one principal component yield strictly synchronous response with no discernible a asynchronous features, while those involving at least two or more principal components generated meaningful asynchronous 2D correlation spectra. Deliberate manipulation of the rank of the reconstructed data matrix, by choosing the appropriate number and type of PCs, yields potentially more refined 2D correlation spectra

  5. Correlation between Urothelial Differentiation and Sensory Proteins P2X3, P2X5, TRPV1, and TRPV4 in Normal Urothelium and Papillary Carcinoma of Human Bladder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Igor Sterle

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Terminal differentiation of urothelium is a prerequisite for blood-urine barrier formation and enables normal sensory function of the urinary bladder. In this study, urothelial differentiation of normal human urothelium and of low and high grade papillary urothelial carcinomas was correlated with the expression and localization of purinergic receptors (P2X3, and P2X5 and transient receptor potential vanilloid channels (TRPV1, and TRPV4. Western blotting and immunofluorescence of uroplakins together with scanning electron microscopy of urothelial apical surface demonstrated terminal differentiation of normal urothelium, partial differentiation of low grade carcinoma, and poor differentiation of high grade carcinoma. P2X3 was expressed in normal urothelium as well as in low grade carcinoma and in both cases immunolabeling was stronger in the superficial cells. P2X3 expression decreased in high grade carcinoma. P2X5 expression was detected in normal urothelium and in high grade carcinoma, while in low grade carcinoma its expression was diminished. The expression of TRPV1 decreased in low grade and even more in high grade carcinoma when compared with normal urothelium, while TRPV4 expression was unchanged in all samples. Our results suggest that sensory proteins P2X3 and TRPV1 are in correlation with urothelial differentiation, while P2X5 and TRPV4 have unique expression patterns.

  6. Human mammary epithelial cells exhibit a bimodal correlated random walk pattern.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potdar, Alka A; Jeon, Junhwan; Weaver, Alissa M; Quaranta, Vito; Cummings, Peter T

    2010-03-10

    Organisms, at scales ranging from unicellular to mammals, have been known to exhibit foraging behavior described by random walks whose segments confirm to Lévy or exponential distributions. For the first time, we present evidence that single cells (mammary epithelial cells) that exist in multi-cellular organisms (humans) follow a bimodal correlated random walk (BCRW). Cellular tracks of MCF-10A pBabe, neuN and neuT random migration on 2-D plastic substrates, analyzed using bimodal analysis, were found to reveal the BCRW pattern. We find two types of exponentially distributed correlated flights (corresponding to what we refer to as the directional and re-orientation phases) each having its own correlation between move step-lengths within flights. The exponential distribution of flight lengths was confirmed using different analysis methods (logarithmic binning with normalization, survival frequency plots and maximum likelihood estimation). Because of the presence of non-uniform turn angle distribution of move step-lengths within a flight and two different types of flights, we propose that the epithelial random walk is a BCRW comprising of two alternating modes with varying degree of correlations, rather than a simple persistent random walk. A BCRW model rather than a simple persistent random walk correctly matches the super-diffusivity in the cell migration paths as indicated by simulations based on the BCRW model.

  7. Human mammary epithelial cells exhibit a bimodal correlated random walk pattern.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alka A Potdar

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Organisms, at scales ranging from unicellular to mammals, have been known to exhibit foraging behavior described by random walks whose segments confirm to Lévy or exponential distributions. For the first time, we present evidence that single cells (mammary epithelial cells that exist in multi-cellular organisms (humans follow a bimodal correlated random walk (BCRW.Cellular tracks of MCF-10A pBabe, neuN and neuT random migration on 2-D plastic substrates, analyzed using bimodal analysis, were found to reveal the BCRW pattern. We find two types of exponentially distributed correlated flights (corresponding to what we refer to as the directional and re-orientation phases each having its own correlation between move step-lengths within flights. The exponential distribution of flight lengths was confirmed using different analysis methods (logarithmic binning with normalization, survival frequency plots and maximum likelihood estimation.Because of the presence of non-uniform turn angle distribution of move step-lengths within a flight and two different types of flights, we propose that the epithelial random walk is a BCRW comprising of two alternating modes with varying degree of correlations, rather than a simple persistent random walk. A BCRW model rather than a simple persistent random walk correctly matches the super-diffusivity in the cell migration paths as indicated by simulations based on the BCRW model.

  8. Correlation Relationship of Performance Shaping Factors (PSFs) for Human Reliability Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bheka, M. Khumalo; Kim, Jonghyun [KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-10-15

    At TMI-2, operators permitted thousands of gallons of water to escape from the reactor plant before realizing that the coolant pumps were behaving abnormally. The coolant pumps were then turned off, which in turn led to the destruction of the reactor itself as cooling was completely lost within the core. Human also plays a role in many aspects of complex systems e.g. in design and manufacture of hardware, interface between human and system and also in maintaining such systems as well as for coping with unusual events that place the NPP system at a risk. This is why human reliability analysis (HRA) - an aspect of risk assessments which systematically identifies and analyzes the causes and consequences of human decisions and actions - is important in nuclear power plant operations. It either upgrades or degrades human performance; therefore it has an impact on the possibility of error. These PSFs can be used in various HRA methods to estimate Human Error Probabilities (HEPs). There are many current HRA methods who propose sets of PSFs for normal operation mode of NPP. Some of these PSFs in the sets have some degree of dependency and overlap. Overlapping PSFs introduce error in HEP evaluations due to the fact that some elements are counted more than once in data; this skews the relationship amongst PSF and masks the way that the elements interact to affect performance. This study uses a causal model that represents dependencies and relationships amongst PSFs for HEP evaluation during normal NPP operational states. The model is built taking into consideration the dependencies among PSFs and thus eliminating overlap. The use of an interdependent model of PSFs is expected to produce more accurate HEPs compared to other current methods. PSF sets produced in this study can be further used as nodes (variables) and directed arcs (causal influence between nodes) in HEP evaluation methods such as Bayesian belief (BN) networks. This study was done to estimate the relationships

  9. Overexpression of 15-lipoxygenase-1 induces growth arrest through phosphorylation of p53 in human colorectal cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jong-Sik; Baek, Seung Joon; Bottone, Frank G; Sali, Tina; Eling, Thomas E

    2005-09-01

    To investigate the function of 15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LOX-1) in human colorectal cancer, we overexpressed 15-LOX-1 in HCT-116 human colorectal cancer cells. Clones expressing the highest levels of 15-LOX-1 displayed reduced viability compared with the HCT-116-Vector control cells. Further, by cell cycle gene array analyses, the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP1 and MDM2 genes were up-regulated in 15-LOX-1-overexpressing cells. The induction of p21(WAF1/CIP1) and MDM2 were linked to activation of p53 by 15-LOX-1, as there was a dramatic induction of phosphorylated p53 (Ser15) in 15-LOX-1-overesxpressing cells. However, the 15-LOX-1 metabolites 13(S)-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid and 15(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid failed to induce phosphorylation of p53 at Ser15, and the 15-LOX-1 inhibitor PD146176 did not inhibit the phosphorylation of p53 at Ser15 in 15-LOX-1-overexpressing cells. Nonetheless, the growth-inhibitory effects of 15-LOX-1 were p53 dependent, as 15-LOX-1 overexpression had no effect on cell growth in p53 (-/-) HCT-116 cells. Finally, treatment of HCT-116-15-LOX-1 cells with different kinase inhibitors suggested that the effects of 15-LOX-1 on p53 phosphorylation and activation were due to effects on DNA-dependent protein kinase. Collectively, these findings suggest a new mechanism to explain the biological activity of 15-LOX-1, where 15-LOX plays a stoichiometric role in activating a DNA-dependent protein kinase-dependent pathway that leads to p53-dependent growth arrest.

  10. Expression and correlation of matrix metalloproteinase-7 and interleukin-15 in human osteoarthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Yulei; Qiu, Xianxing; Xu, Changbo; Sun, Bo; Shi, Changxiu

    2015-01-01

    To investigate the expression and correlation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-7 and interleukin (IL)-15 in human osteoarthritis (OA). From October 2013 to December 2014, 30 patients with OA were enrolled. In addition, anther 30 patients with simple meniscus injury were collected as a control group. There were no significant differences in age and gender between the two groups. Articular cartilage tissue was obtained from both OA patients and control group patients. Protein, mRNA, and serum expression levels of MMP-7 and IL-15 in the both two groups were determined by immunohistochemical (IHC), in situ hybridization, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay, respectively. Additionally, correlation between MMP-7 and IL-15 expression level in cartilage tissue and serum was assessed using Pearson correlation analysis. Protein, mRNA, and serum expression levels of MMP-7 and IL-15 in patients with OA were all significantly increased in OA patients compared with the control group. Besides, there were strong positive relationships between articular MMP-7 level and serum MMP-7 level (R(2) = 0.573, P = 0.018), between articular IL-15 level and serum IL-15 level (R(2) = 0.861, P = 0.023), and between serum IL-15 level and serum MMP-7 level (R(2) = 0.602, P = 0.012). These results suggest that MMP-7 and IL-15 might play important roles in the pathogenesis of OA, and IL-15 and MMP-7 has positive correlation in OA.

  11. [Study on vaginal production of human defensins and the correlated pathogenetic factors of vulvovaginal candidiasis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wen; DI, Wen; Liao, Qin-ping; Liu, Zhao-hui; Zhang, Ning; Zhang, Hui-ying; Zhang, Dai; Geng, Li; Fan, Shang-rong; Hu, Li-na

    2008-07-01

    To investigate the correlated pathogenetic factors and vaginal local immunity in vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). A case control study was conducted to compare VVC group (60 cases) with normal group (60 cases). All of the women filled up the specific questionnaires. Routine examination, pH test and bacterial culture were done on the vaginal discharge. Cytokines of the vaginal lavage were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. (1) Outcomes of the questionnaires: there was no significant difference between the two groups in educational background, knowledge of gynecologic infection, history of gynecologic infection, hygienic habit, sex life, or use of medicine (P > 0.05). The incidence of chronic cervicitis in normal group (43%, 26/60) was higher than in VVC group (22%, 13/60; P vaginal pH between the two groups (P > 0.05). (3) Detection rate of candida albicans by vaginal discharge routine examination was 72% (43/60). (4) The concentrations of interleukin (IL) 2, and IL-4 in vaginal lavage did not show significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05), but the concentrations of human defensin 5, human beta-defensin (HBD) 1, and HBD2 in VVC group [(0.94 +/- 0.44) mg/L, (3.1 +/- 0.4) microg/L, (10 +/- 6) microg/L] were higher than normal group (P < 0.05). VVC is a common vulvovaginitis. There is no significant correlation between the incidence of VVC and educational background, knowledge of gynecologic infection, history of gynecologic infection, hygienic habit, sex life, or use of medicine in the child-bearing period. Human defensin may be closely correlated with the pathogenesis of VVC.

  12. Behavioral Correlations Associated with Fear of Humans Differ between Rural and Urban Burrowing Owls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martina Carrete

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Behavioral studies are fundamental to understanding how animal populations face global change. Although much research has centered upon the idea that individuals can adaptively modify their behaviors to cope with environmental changes, recent evidence supports the existence of individual differences in suites of correlated behaviors. However, little is known about how selection can change these behavioral structures in populations subject to different environmental constraints. The colonization of urban environments by birds has been related to their inter-individual variability in their fear of humans, measured as their flight initiation distance to an approaching human, such that urban life would select for fearless individuals. This behavior has been demonstrated to be heritable and highly consistent throughout the adult lifespan of burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia. Here, we experimentally assessed, in field conditions, whether urban life involves changes in other behaviors such as exploration and antipredatory response through their correlation with fear of humans. Breeding urban birds were more fearless toward humans and were quicker to explore a new food resource and defend their nests from predators than their rural counterparts. However, while fear of humans positively correlated with exploration and antipredatory response in the rural population, it only correlated with exploration in the urban one. Predator release in urban environments could relax—and even counterselect—antipredator behaviors, thus dismantling the behavioral correlation existent in natural populations. Altogether, our results suggest that rural and urban animals may differ in some behavioral aspects, may be as a consequence of the selection processes acting during the colonization of urban areas as well as the different ecological environments encountered by individuals.

  13. Correlation between the dielectric properties and biological activities of human ex vivo hepatic tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Hang; You, Fusheng; Fu, Feng; Dong, Xiuzhen; Shi, Xuetao; He, Yong; Yang, Min; Yan, Qingguo

    2015-01-01

    Dielectric properties are vital biophysical features of biological tissues, and biological activity is an index to ascertain the active state of tissues. This study investigated the potential correlation between the dielectric properties and biological activities of human hepatic tissue with prolonged ex vivo time through correlation and regression analyses. The dielectric properties of 26 cases of normal human hepatic tissue at 10 Hz to 100 MHz were measured from 15 min after isolation to 24 h at 37 °C with 90% humidity. Cell morphologies, including nucleus area (NA) and alteration rate of intercellular area (ICAR), were analyzed as indicators of biological activities. Conductivity, complex resistivity, and NA exhibited opposing changes 1 h after isolation. Relative permittivity and ex vivo time were not closely correlated (p > 0.05). The dielectric properties measured at low frequencies (i.e. <1 MHz) were more sensitive than those measured at high frequencies in reflecting the biological activity of ex vivo tissue. Highly significant correlations were found between conductivity, resistivity and the ex vivo time (p < 0.05) as well as conductivity and the cell morphology (p < 0.05). The findings indicated that establishing the correlation between the dielectric properties and biological activities of human hepatic tissue is of great significance for promoting the role of dielectric properties in biological science, particularly in human biology. (paper)

  14. Role of Apoptosis in the Development of Uterine Leiomyoma: Analysis of Expression Patterns of Bcl-2 and Bax in Human Leiomyoma Tissue With Clinical Correlations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Csatlós, Éva; Máté, Szabolcs; Laky, Marcella; Rigó, János; Joó, József Gábor

    2015-07-01

    To describe gene expression patterns of the apoptotic regulatory genes Bcl and Bax in human uterine leiomyoma tissue. To investigate the relationship between alterations of gene expression patterns and several relevant clinical parameters. We obtained samples from 101 cases undergoing surgery for uterine leiomyoma for gene expression analysis of the Bcl-2 and Bax genes. Gene expression was quantified using RT-PCR technique. In the leiomyoma group, the Bcl-2 gene was significantly overexpressed compared with the control group although there was no such difference in the gene expression of Bax. Gene activity of Bcl-2 positively correlated with the tumor number in individual uterine leiomyoma cases. Although there was no significant correlation between the length of the cumulative lactation period before the development of uterine leiomyoma and Bcl-2 gene expression in the leiomyoma tissue, we observed a trend for a shorter cumulative lactation period to be associated with overexpression of the Bcl-2 gene. Overexpression of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 gene appeared to be a factor in the development of uterine leiomyoma, whereas gene activity of the proapoptotic Bax gene did not seem to play a role in the process.

  15. SNAI2/Slug promotes growth and invasion in human gliomas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Hong Wei; Menon, Lata G; Black, Peter M; Carroll, Rona S; Johnson, Mark D

    2010-01-01

    Numerous factors that contribute to malignant glioma invasion have been identified, but the upstream genes coordinating this process are poorly known. To identify genes controlling glioma invasion, we used genome-wide mRNA expression profiles of primary human glioblastomas to develop an expression-based rank ordering of 30 transcription factors that have previously been implicated in the regulation of invasion and metastasis in cancer. Using this approach, we identified the oncogenic transcriptional repressor, SNAI2/Slug, among the upper tenth percentile of invasion-related transcription factors overexpressed in glioblastomas. SNAI2 mRNA expression correlated with histologic grade and invasive phenotype in primary human glioma specimens, and was induced by EGF receptor activation in human glioblastoma cells. Overexpression of SNAI2/Slug increased glioblastoma cell proliferation and invasion in vitro and promoted angiogenesis and glioblastoma growth in vivo. Importantly, knockdown of endogenous SNAI2/Slug in glioblastoma cells decreased invasion and increased survival in a mouse intracranial human glioblastoma transplantation model. This genome-scale approach has thus identified SNAI2/Slug as a regulator of growth and invasion in human gliomas

  16. Correlation of chromosome patterns in human leukemic cells with exposure to chemicals and/or radiation. Progress report, January 1-December 31, 1984

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rowley, J.D.

    1984-08-01

    Oncogenes associated with human neoplasms are genetically mapped to the human genome. In addition, chromosomal deletions and rearrangements presumably induced by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy for other maladys are correlated with malignant lymphomas. 27 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs. (DT)

  17. Recent mathematical developments in 2D correlation spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noda, I.

    2000-03-01

    Recent mathematical developments in the field of 2D correlation spectroscopy, especially those related to the statistical theory, are reported. The notion of correlation phase angle is introduced. The significance of correlation phase angle between dynamic fluctuations of signals measured at two different spectral variables may be linked to more commonly known statistical concepts, such as coherence and correlation coefficient. This treatment provides the direct mathematical connection between the synchronous 2D correlation spectrum with a continuous form of the variance-covariance matrix. Moreover, it gives the background for the formal definition of the disrelation spectrum, which may be used as a heuristic substitution for the asynchronous 2D spectrum. The 2D correlation intensity may be separated into two independent factors representing the normalized extent of signal fluctuation coherence (i.e., correlation coefficient) and the magnitude of spectral intensity changes (i.e., variance). Such separation offers a convenient way to artificially enhance the discriminating power of 2D correlation spectra.

  18. Correlation of circulating MMP-9 with white blood cell count in humans: effect of smoking.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soren Snitker

    Full Text Available Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9 is an emerging biomarker for several disease conditions, where white blood cell (WBC count is also elevated. In this study, we examined the relationship between MMP-9 and WBC levels in apparently healthy smoking and non-smoking human subjects.We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the relationship of serum MMP-9 with WBC in 383 men and 356 women. Next, we divided the male population (women do not smoke in this population into three groups: never (n = 243, current (n = 76 and former (n = 64 smokers and compared the group differences in MMP-9 and WBC levels and their correlations within each group.Circulating MMP-9 and WBC count are significantly correlated in men (R(2 = 0.13, p<0.001 and women (R(2 = 0.19, p<0.001. After stratification by smoking status, MMP-9 level was significantly higher in current smokers (mean ± SE; 663.3±43.4 ng/ml, compared to never (529.7±20.6 and former smokers (568±39.3. WBC count was changed in a similar pattern. Meanwhile, the relationship became stronger in current smokers with increased correlation coefficient of r = 0.45 or R(2 = 0.21 (p<0.001 and steeper slope of ß = 1.16±0.30 (p<0.001 in current smokers, compared to r = 0.26 or R(2 = 0.07 (p<0.001 and ß = 0.34±0.10 (p<0.001 in never smokers.WBC count accounts for 13% and 19% of MMP-9 variance in men and women, respectively. In non-smoking men, WBC count accounts for 7% of MMP-9 variance, but in smoking subjects, it accounts for up to 21% of MMP-9 variance. Thus, we have discovered a previously unrecognized correlation between the circulating MMP-9 and WBC levels in humans.

  19. -Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael J. Russell

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Dedifferentiated liposarcomas may display a variety of “heterologous” lines of differentiation, including osseous, vascular, skeletal, and/or smooth muscular. There have been six previously reported examples of leiomyosarcomas associated with high levels of serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG production, comprised of cases originating from the retroperitoneum, spermatic cord, small intestine, and uterus. This report describes the first example of a dedifferentiated liposarcoma that combined both of the aforementioned features: extensive heterologous (leiomyosarcomatous differentiation and -hCG production (maximum serum levels 1046 mIU/ml, reference <5 mIU/ml. The tumor, which originated in the retroperitoneum in the region of the right kidney, was rapidly progressive and ultimately fatal within three months of its diagnosis. In addition to characteristic morphologic features, lipogenic and smooth muscle differentiation were confirmed with immunohistochemical stains for MDM2 and smooth muscle actin, respectively. The tumor also displayed diffuse immunoreactivity for -hCG in both primary and metastatic sites. This case further expands the clinicopathologic spectrum of lipogenic tumors.

  20. TROP2 correlates with microvessel density and poor prognosis in hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ning, Shanglei; Guo, Sen; Xie, Jianjun; Xu, Yunfei; Lu, Xiaofei; Chen, Yuxin

    2013-02-01

    Trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2) was found to be associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis in a variety of epithelial carcinomas. The aim of the study was to investigate TROP2 expression and its prognostic impact in hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time PCR were used to determine TROP2 expression in surgical specimens from 70 hilar cholangiocarcinoma patients receiving radical resection. The relationship between TROP2 expression and microvessel density was investigated and standard statistical analysis was used to evaluate TROP2 prognosis significance in hilar cholangiocarcinoma. High TROP2 expression by immunohistochemistry was found in 43 (61.4 %) of the 70 tumor specimens. Quantitative real-time PCR confirmed that TROP2 level in tumor was significantly higher than in non-tumoral biliary tissues (P = 0.001). Significant correlations were found between TROP2 expression and histological differentiation (P = 0.016) and tumor T stage (P = 0.031) in hilar cholangiocarcinoma. TROP2 expression correlated with microvessel density in hilar cholangiocarcinoma (P = 0.026). High TROP2 expression patients had a significantly poorer overall survival rate than those with low TROP2 expression (30 vs. 68.5 %, P = 0.001), and multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated TROP2 as an independent prognostic factor for hilar cholangiocarcinoma (P = 0.004). TROP2 expression correlates with microvessel density significantly and is an independent prognostic factor in human hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

  1. Modified dark matter: Relating dark energy, dark matter and baryonic matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edmonds, Douglas; Farrah, Duncan; Minic, Djordje; Ng, Y. Jack; Takeuchi, Tatsu

    Modified dark matter (MDM) is a phenomenological model of dark matter, inspired by gravitational thermodynamics. For an accelerating universe with positive cosmological constant (Λ), such phenomenological considerations lead to the emergence of a critical acceleration parameter related to Λ. Such a critical acceleration is an effective phenomenological manifestation of MDM, and it is found in correlations between dark matter and baryonic matter in galaxy rotation curves. The resulting MDM mass profiles, which are sensitive to Λ, are consistent with observational data at both the galactic and cluster scales. In particular, the same critical acceleration appears both in the galactic and cluster data fits based on MDM. Furthermore, using some robust qualitative arguments, MDM appears to work well on cosmological scales, even though quantitative studies are still lacking. Finally, we comment on certain nonlocal aspects of the quanta of modified dark matter, which may lead to novel nonparticle phenomenology and which may explain why, so far, dark matter detection experiments have failed to detect dark matter particles.

  2. Functional Significance of Mutant p53 in Breast Cancer

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    O'Lear, Rene

    2002-01-01

    ... in those cells with irreparable damage. In human tumors, many hot-spot mutations are found within the DNA-binding domain of p53, rendering it incapable of sequence-specific transactivation of target genes such as p2l, bax, and mdm2...

  3. Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics - Vol 13, No 2 (2012)

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics - Vol 13, No 2 (2012) ... as independent indicators for B-CLL: Correlation to response to treatment and disease ... Profile of disorders of sexual differentiation in the Northeast region of Cairo, Egypt ...

  4. FY 1991 report on the results of the contract R and D of the human sense measuring application technology. 4. R and D of correlation/evaluation technology (2); 1991 nendo ningen kankaku keisoku oyo gijutsu no kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. 4. Sokan hyoka gijutsu no kekyu kaihatsu (2)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1982-03-01

    As a part of the correlation/evaluation technology, the following were conducted in this R and D. (1) R and D of space-type human interface adaptable to human sense; (2) R and D of human comfortmeter; (3) research on non-contact skin temperature measuring technology; (4) research on measuring technology of stress indicator material, and technology to relax stress using fragrance. In (1), conducted were the development of space-type human interface, study on the correlation between the visual operating environment and the mental work load/working efficiency, and development of acceleration heartbeat meter. In (2), the basic element experiment was conducted to clarify the basic concept of human comfortmeter, and the basic specifications were made clear. In (3), the experiment using person to be tested was studied to know face skin surface temperature distribution patterns, and correlations between quantity of senses such as thermal/cold senses, concentration, strain and relaxation and mental quantity. In (4), the most important subject is preparation of the environment suitable for the development of new experimental process and device/software. Therefore, the preparation was made considering listing-up of the expected experimental items, selection of common elements, systematization of hardware, establishment of rules of the experimental process, etc. (NEDO)

  5. Early Articular Cartilage MRI T2 Changes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Correlate With Later Changes in T2 and Cartilage Thickness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Ashley; Winalski, Carl S.; Chu, Constance R.

    2018-01-01

    Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a known risk factor for future development of osteoarthritis (OA). This human clinical study seeks to determine if early changes to cartilage MRI T2 maps between baseline and 6 months following ACL reconstruction (ACLR) are associated with changes to cartilage T2 and cartilage thickness between baseline and 2 years after ACLR. Changes to T2 texture metrics and T2 mean values in medial knee cartilage of 17 human subjects 6 months after ACLR were compared to 2-year changes in T2 and in cartilage thickness of the same areas. T2 texture and mean assessments were also compared to that of 11 uninjured controls. In ACLR subjects, six-month changes in mean T2 correlated to 2-year changes in mean T2 (R = 0.80, p = 0.0001), and 6-month changes to T2 texture metrics, but not T2 mean, correlated with 2-year changes in medial femoral cartilage thickness in 9 of the 20 texture features assessed (R = 0.48–0.72, p ≤ 0.05). Both mean T2 and texture differed (p evaluation of T2 map and textural changes may provide early warning of cartilage at risk for progressive degeneration after ACL injury and reconstruction. PMID:27381512

  6. Correlation between human papillomavirus and p16 overexpression in oropharyngeal tumours

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grønhøj Larsen, C; Gyldenløve, M; Jensen, D H

    2014-01-01

    A significant proportion of squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx (OP-SCC) are related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and p16 overexpression. This subgroup proves better prognosis and survival but no evidence exists on the correlation between HPV and p16 overexpression based on diag...

  7. Effect of the Flexible Regions of the Oncoprotein Mouse Double Minute X on Inhibitor Binding Affinity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Lingyun; Liu, Huili; Chen, Rong; Zhou, Jingjing; Cheng, Xiyao; Chen, Yao; Huang, Yongqi; Su, Zhengding

    2017-11-07

    The oncoprotein MdmX (mouse double minute X) is highly homologous to Mdm2 (mouse double minute 2) in terms of their amino acid sequences and three-dimensional conformations, but Mdm2 inhibitors exhibit very weak affinity for MdmX, providing an excellent model for exploring how protein conformation distinguishes and alters inhibitor binding. The intrinsic conformation flexibility of proteins plays pivotal roles in determining and predicting the binding properties and the design of inhibitors. Although the molecular dynamics simulation approach enables us to understand protein-ligand interactions, the mechanism underlying how a flexible binding pocket adapts an inhibitor has been less explored experimentally. In this work, we have investigated how the intrinsic flexible regions of the N-terminal domain of MdmX (N-MdmX) affect the affinity of the Mdm2 inhibitor nutlin-3a using protein engineering. Guided by heteronuclear nuclear Overhauser effect measurements, we identified the flexible regions that affect inhibitor binding affinity around the ligand-binding pocket on N-MdmX. A disulfide engineering mutant, N-MdmX C25-C110/C76-C88 , which incorporated two staples to rigidify the ligand-binding pocket, allowed an affinity for nutlin-3a higher than that of wild-type N-MdmX (K d ∼ 0.48 vs K d ∼ 20.3 μM). Therefore, this mutant provides not only an effective protein model for screening and designing of MdmX inhibitors but also a valuable clue for enhancing the intermolecular interactions of the pharmacophores of a ligand with pronounced flexible regions. In addition, our results revealed an allosteric ligand-binding mechanism of N-MdmX in which the ligand initially interacts with a compact core, followed by augmenting intermolecular interactions with intrinsic flexible regions. This strategy should also be applicable to many other protein targets to accelerate drug discovery.

  8. Identification of transcriptional macromolecular associations in human bone using browser based in silico analysis in a giant correlation matrix.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reppe, Sjur; Sachse, Daniel; Olstad, Ole K; Gautvik, Vigdis T; Sanderson, Paul; Datta, Harish K; Berg, Jens P; Gautvik, Kaare M

    2013-03-01

    Intracellular signaling is critically dependent on gene regulatory networks comprising physical molecular interactions. Presently, there is a lack of comprehensive databases for most human tissue types to verify such macromolecular interactions. We present a user friendly browser which helps to identify functional macromolecular interactions in human bone as significant correlations at the transcriptional level. The molecular skeletal phenotype has been characterized by transcriptome analysis of iliac crest bone biopsies from 84 postmenopausal women through quantifications of ~23,000 mRNA species. When the signal levels were inter-correlated, an array containing >260 million correlations was generated, thus recognizing the human bone interactome at the RNA level. The matrix correlation and p values were made easily accessible by a freely available online browser. We show that significant correlations within the giant matrix are reproduced in a replica set of 13 male vertebral biopsies. The identified correlations differ somewhat from transcriptional interactions identified in cell culture experiments and transgenic mice, thus demonstrating that care should be taken in extrapolating such results to the in vivo situation in human bone. The current giant matrix and web browser are a valuable tool for easy access to the human bone transcriptome and molecular interactions represented as significant correlations at the RNA-level. The browser and matrix should be a valuable hypothesis generating tool for identification of regulatory mechanisms and serve as a library of transcript relationships in human bone, a relatively inaccessible tissue. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. MTBP inhibits the Erk1/2-Elk-1 signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranjan, Atul; Iyer, Swathi V.; Ward, Christopher; Link, Tim; Diaz, Francisco J.; Dhar, Animesh; Tawfik, Ossama W.; Weinman, Steven A.; Azuma, Yoshiaki; Izumi, Tadahide; Iwakuma, Tomoo

    2018-01-01

    Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and the prognosis of HCC patients, especially those with metastasis, remains extremely poor. This is partly due to unclear molecular mechanisms underlying HCC metastasis. Our previous study indicates that MDM2 Binding Protein (MTBP) suppresses migration and metastasis of HCC cells. However, signaling pathways regulated by MTBP remain unknown. To identify metastasis-associated signaling pathways governed by MTBP, we have performed unbiased luciferase reporter-based signal array analyses and found that MTBP suppresses the activity of the ETS-domain transcription factor Elk-1, a downstream target of Erk1/2 MAP kinases. MTBP also inhibits phosphorylation of Elk-1 and decreases mRNA expression of Elk-1 target genes. Reduced Elk-1 activity is caused by inhibited nuclear translocation of phosphorylated Erk1/2 (p-Erk) by MTBP and subsequent inhibition of Elk-1 phosphorylation. We also reveal that MTBP inhibits the interaction of p-Erk with importin-7/RanBP7 (IPO7), an importin family member which shuttles p-Erk into the nucleus, by binding to IPO7. Moreover, high levels of MTBP in human HCC tissues are correlated with cytoplasmic localization of p-Erk1/2. Our study suggests that MTBP suppresses metastasis, at least partially, by down-modulating the Erk1/2-Elk-1 signaling pathway, thus identifying a novel regulatory mechanism of HCC metastasis by regulating the subcellular localization of p-Erk. PMID:29765550

  10. Modulation of Human Macrophage Responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis by Silver Nanoparticles of Different Size and Surface Modification.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Srijata Sarkar

    Full Text Available Exposure to silver nanoparticles (AgNP used in consumer products carries potential health risks including increased susceptibility to infectious pathogens. Systematic assessments of antimicrobial macrophage immune responses in the context of AgNP exposure are important because uptake of AgNP by macrophages may lead to alterations of innate immune cell functions. In this study we examined the effects of exposure to AgNP with different particle sizes (20 and 110 nm diameters and surface chemistry (citrate or polyvinlypyrrolidone capping on cellular toxicity and innate immune responses against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb by human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM. Exposures of MDM to AgNP significantly reduced cellular viability, increased IL8 and decreased IL10 mRNA expression. Exposure of M.tb-infected MDM to AgNP suppressed M.tb-induced expression of IL1B, IL10, and TNFA mRNA. Furthermore, M.tb-induced IL-1β, a cytokine critical for host resistance to M.tb, was inhibited by AgNP but not by carbon black particles indicating that the observed immunosuppressive effects of AgNP are particle specific. Suppressive effects of AgNP on the M.tb-induced host immune responses were in part due to AgNP-mediated interferences with the TLR signaling pathways that culminate in the activation of the transcription factor NF-κB. AgNP exposure suppressed M.tb-induced expression of a subset of NF-κB mediated genes (CSF2, CSF3, IFNG, IL1A, IL1B, IL6, IL10, TNFA, NFKB1A. In addition, AgNP exposure increased the expression of HSPA1A mRNA and the corresponding stress-induced Hsp72 protein. Up-regulation of Hsp72 by AgNP can suppress M.tb-induced NF-κB activation and host immune responses. The observed ability of AgNP to modulate infectious pathogen-induced immune responses has important public health implications.

  11. Multimodal neural correlates of cognitive control in the Human Connectome Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lerman-Sinkoff, Dov B; Sui, Jing; Rachakonda, Srinivas; Kandala, Sridhar; Calhoun, Vince D; Barch, Deanna M

    2017-12-01

    Cognitive control is a construct that refers to the set of functions that enable decision-making and task performance through the representation of task states, goals, and rules. The neural correlates of cognitive control have been studied in humans using a wide variety of neuroimaging modalities, including structural MRI, resting-state fMRI, and task-based fMRI. The results from each of these modalities independently have implicated the involvement of a number of brain regions in cognitive control, including dorsal prefrontal cortex, and frontal parietal and cingulo-opercular brain networks. However, it is not clear how the results from a single modality relate to results in other modalities. Recent developments in multimodal image analysis methods provide an avenue for answering such questions and could yield more integrated models of the neural correlates of cognitive control. In this study, we used multiset canonical correlation analysis with joint independent component analysis (mCCA + jICA) to identify multimodal patterns of variation related to cognitive control. We used two independent cohorts of participants from the Human Connectome Project, each of which had data from four imaging modalities. We replicated the findings from the first cohort in the second cohort using both independent and predictive analyses. The independent analyses identified a component in each cohort that was highly similar to the other and significantly correlated with cognitive control performance. The replication by prediction analyses identified two independent components that were significantly correlated with cognitive control performance in the first cohort and significantly predictive of performance in the second cohort. These components identified positive relationships across the modalities in neural regions related to both dynamic and stable aspects of task control, including regions in both the frontal-parietal and cingulo-opercular networks, as well as regions

  12. Vasohibin 2 promotes human luminal breast cancer angiogenesis in a non-paracrine manner via transcriptional activation of fibroblast growth factor 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tu, Min; Lu, Cheng; Lv, Nan; Wei, Jishu; Lu, Zipeng; Xi, Chunhua; Chen, Jianmin; Guo, Feng; Jiang, Kuirong; Li, Qiang; Wu, Junli; Song, Guoxin; Wang, Shui; Gao, Wentao; Miao, Yi

    2016-12-28

    Vasohibin 2 (VASH2) is an angiogenic factor and cancer-related protein that acts via paracrine mechanisms. Here, we investigated the angiogenic function and mechanism of action of VASH2 in 200 human breast cancer tissues by performing immunohistochemical staining, western blot, indirect sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and a semi-quantitative sandwich-based antibody array. Breast cancer cells stably overexpressing VASH2 or with knocked-down VASH2 were established and used for in vivo and in vitro models. In human luminal tissue, but not in HER2-positive or basal-like breast cancer tissues, VASH2 was positively correlated with CD31-positive microvascular density, induced angiogenesis in xenograft tumors, and promoted human umbilical vein endothelial cell tube formation in vitro. VASH2 expression was absent in the concentrated conditioned medium collected from knocked-down VASH2 and VASH2-overexpressing luminal breast cancer cells. Further, VASH2 regulated the expression of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) in human luminal breast cancer cells, and the pro-angiogenic effect induced by VASH2 overexpression was blocked by FGF2 neutralization in vitro. Additionally, dual luciferase reporter assay and Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis results showed that FGF2 promoter was transcriptionally activated by VASH2 via histone modifications. In conclusion, VASH2 expression is positively correlated with FGF2 expression and promotes angiogenesis in human luminal breast cancer by transcriptional activation of fibroblast growth factor 2 through non-paracrine mechanisms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Bootstrapping N=2 chiral correlators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemos, Madalena; Liendo, Pedro

    2016-01-01

    We apply the numerical bootstrap program to chiral operators in four-dimensional N=2 SCFTs. In the first part of this work we study four-point functions in which all fields have the same conformal dimension. We give special emphasis to bootstrapping a specific theory: the simplest Argyres-Douglas fixed point with no flavor symmetry. In the second part we generalize our setup and consider correlators of fields with unequal dimension. This is an example of a mixed correlator and allows us to probe new regions in the parameter space of N=2 SCFTs. In particular, our results put constraints on relations in the Coulomb branch chiral ring and on the curvature of the Zamolodchikov metric.

  14. Bootstrapping N=2 chiral correlators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lemos, Madalena [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Liendo, Pedro [Humboldt-Univ. Berlin (Germany). IMIP

    2015-12-15

    We apply the numerical bootstrap program to chiral operators in four-dimensional N=2 SCFTs. In the first part of this work we study four-point functions in which all fields have the same conformal dimension. We give special emphasis to bootstrapping a specific theory: the simplest Argyres-Douglas fixed point with no flavor symmetry. In the second part we generalize our setup and consider correlators of fields with unequal dimension. This is an example of a mixed correlator and allows us to probe new regions in the parameter space of N=2 SCFTs. In particular, our results put constraints on relations in the Coulomb branch chiral ring and on the curvature of the Zamolodchikov metric.

  15. Bootstrapping N=2 chiral correlators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lemos, Madalena [DESY Hamburg, Theory Group,Notkestrasse 85, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Liendo, Pedro [IMIP, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, IRIS Adlershof,Zum Großen Windkanal 6, 12489 Berlin (Germany)

    2016-01-07

    We apply the numerical bootstrap program to chiral operators in four-dimensional N=2 SCFTs. In the first part of this work we study four-point functions in which all fields have the same conformal dimension. We give special emphasis to bootstrapping a specific theory: the simplest Argyres-Douglas fixed point with no flavor symmetry. In the second part we generalize our setup and consider correlators of fields with unequal dimension. This is an example of a mixed correlator and allows us to probe new regions in the parameter space of N=2 SCFTs. In particular, our results put constraints on relations in the Coulomb branch chiral ring and on the curvature of the Zamolodchikov metric.

  16. 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT and somatostatin receptor (sst1-sst5) expression in normal human tissue: correlation of sst2 mRNA and SUVmax

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boy, Christian; Poeppel, Thorsten D.; Jentzen, Walter; Brandau, Wolfgang; Bockisch, Andreas; Heusner, Till A.; Antoch, Gerald; Redmann-Bischofs, Anja; Unger, Nicole; Mann, Klaus; Petersenn, Stephan

    2011-01-01

    By targeting somatostatin receptors (sst) radiopeptides have been established for both diagnosis and therapy. For physiologically normal human tissues the study provides a normative database of maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ) and sst mRNA. A total of 120 patients were subjected to diagnostic 68 Ga-DOTATOC positron emission tomography (PET)/CT (age range 19-83 years). SUV max values were measured in physiologically normal tissues defined by normal morphology, absence of surgical intervention and absence of metastatic spread during clinical follow-up. Expression of sst subtypes (sst1-sst5) was measured independently in pooled adult normal human tissue by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). SUV max revealed a region-specific pattern (e.g., mean ± SD, spleen 31.1 ± 10.9, kidney 16.9 ± 5.3, liver 12.8 ± 3.6, stomach 7.0 ± 3.1, head of pancreas 6.2 ± 2.3, small bowel 4.8 ± 1.8, thyroid 4.7 ± 2.2, bone 3.9 ± 1.3, large bowel 2.9 ± 0.8, muscle 2.1 ± 0.5, parotid gland 1.9 ± 0.6, axillary lymph node 0.8 ± 0.3 and lung 0.7 ± 0.3). SUV max was age independent. Gender differences were evident within the thyroid (female/male: 3.7 ± 1.6/5.5 ± 2.4, p max values exclusively correlated with sst2 expression (r = 0.846, p max with the expression of the other four subtypes. In normal human tissues 68 Ga-DOTATOC imaging has been related to the expression of sst2 at the level of mRNA. The novel normative database may improve diagnostics, monitoring and therapy of sst-expressing tumours or inflammation on a molecular basis. (orig.)

  17. Functional Significance of Mutant p53 in Breast Cancer

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    O'Lear, Renee

    2001-01-01

    ... in those cells with irreparable damage. In human tumors, many hot-spot mutations are found within the DNA-binding domain of p53, rendering it incapable of sequence-specific transactivation of target genes such as p21, bax, and mdm2...

  18. Overexpression of karyopherin 2 in human ovarian malignant germ cell tumor correlates with poor prognosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li He

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify a biomarker useful in the diagnosis and therapy of ovarian malignant germ cell tumor (OMGCT. METHODS: The karyopherin 2 (KPNA2 expression in OMGCT and normal ovarian tissue was determined by standard gene microarray assays, and further validated by a quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The correlation between KPNA2 expression in OMGCT and certain clinicopathological features were analyzed. Expression of SALL4, a stem cell marker, was also examined in comparison with KPNA2. RESULTS: KPNA2 was found to be over-expressed by approximately eight-fold in yolk sac tumors and immature teratomas compared to normal ovarian tissue by microarray assays. Overexpression was detected in yolk sac tumors, immature teratomas, dysgerminomas, embryonal carcinomas, mature teratomas with malignant transformation and mixed ovarian germ cell tumors at both the transcription and translation levels. A positive correlation between KPNA2 and SALL4 expression at both the transcription level (R = 0.5120, P = 0.0125, and the translation level (R = 0.6636, P<0.0001, was presented. Extensive expression of KPNA2 was positively associated with pathologic type, recurrence and uncontrolled, ascitic fluid presence, suboptimal cytoreductive surgery necessity, resistance/refraction to initial chemotherapy, HCG level and SALL4 level in OMGCT patients. KPNA2 was found to be an independent factor for 5-year disease-free survival (DFS of OMGCT (P = 0.02. The 5-year overall survival (OS and DFS rate for KPNA2-low expression patients (88% and 79%, n = 48 were significantly higher than the OS and DFS rate for KPNA2-high expression patients (69% and 57.1%, n = 42(P = 0.0151, P = 0.0109, respectively. The 5-year OS and DFS rate for SALL4-low expression patients (84% and 74%, n = 62 was marginally significantly higher than the high expression patients (78.6% and 71.4%, n = 28(P = 0.0519, P = 0.0647, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: KPNA2 is

  19. Regulation of p53 in NIH3T3 mouse fibroblasts following hyperosmotic stress

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lambert, Ian Henry; Enghoff, Maria Stine; Brandi, Marie-Luise

    2015-01-01

    regulating proteins p38 MAP kinase and the ubiquitin ligase MDM2 were studied as a function of increasing osmolarity. MDM2 protein expression was unchanged at all osmolarities, whereas MDM2 phosphorylation (Ser(166)) increased at osmolarities up to 537 mOsm and remained constant at higher osmolarities...

  20. Three-dimensional evaluation of human jaw bone microarchitecture: correlation between the microarchitectural parameters of cone beam computed tomography and micro-computer tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jo-Eun; Yi, Won-Jin; Heo, Min-Suk; Lee, Sam-Sun; Choi, Soon-Chul; Huh, Kyung-Hoe

    2015-12-01

    To evaluate the potential feasibility of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the assessment of trabecular bone microarchitecture. Sixty-eight specimens from four pairs of human jaw were scanned using both micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) of 19.37-μm voxel size and CBCT of 100-μm voxel size. The correlation of 3-dimensional parameters between CBCT and micro-CT was evaluated. All parameters, except bone-specific surface and trabecular thickness, showed linear correlations between the 2 imaging modalities (P < .05). Among the parameters, bone volume, percent bone volume, trabecular separation, and degree of anisotropy (DA) of CBCT images showed strong correlations with those of micro-CT images. DA showed the strongest correlation (r = 0.693). Most microarchitectural parameters from CBCT were correlated with those from micro-CT. Some microarchitectural parameters, especially DA, could be used as strong predictors of bone quality in the human jaw. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Gut microbes in correlation with mood: case study in a closed experimental human life support system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, L; Su, Q; Xie, B; Duan, L; Zhao, W; Hu, D; Wu, R; Liu, H

    2016-08-01

    Gut microbial community, which may influence our mood, can be shaped by modulating the gut ecosystem through dietary strategies. Understanding the gut-brain correlationship in healthy people is important for maintenance of mental health and prevention of mental illnesses. A case study on the correlation between gut microbial alternation and mood swing of healthy adults was conducted in a closed human life support system during a 105-day experiment. Gut microbial community structures were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing every 2 weeks. A profile of mood states questionnaire was used to record the mood swings. Correlation between gut microbes and mood were identified with partial least squares discrimination analysis. Microbial community structures in the three healthy adults were strongly correlated with mood states. Bacterial genera Roseburia, Phascolarctobacterium, Lachnospira, and Prevotella had potential positive correlation with positive mood, while genera Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, and Anaerostipes were correlated with negative mood. Among which, Faecalibacterium spp. had the highest abundance, and showed a significant negative correlation with mood. Our results indicated that the composition of microbial community could play a role in emotional change in mentally physically healthy adults. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Paramagnetic Spin Correlations in CaFe2As2 Single Crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Omar Diallo, Souleymane; Pratt, Daniel; Fernandes, Rafael; Tian, Wei; Zarestky, J.L.; Lumsden, Mark D.; Perring, T.G.; Broholm, C.; Ni, Ni; Budko, S.L.; Canfield, Paul; Li, Haifeng; Vaknin, D.; Kreyssig, A.; Goldman, A.I.; Mcqueeney, R.J.

    2010-01-01

    Magnetic correlations in the paramagnetic phase of CaFe2As2(TN=172 K) have been examined by means of inelastic neutron scattering from 180 K ( 1.05TN) up to 300 K (1.8TN). Despite the first-order nature of the magnetic ordering, strong but short-ranged antiferromagnetic (AFM) correlations are clearly observed. These correlations, which consist of quasielastic scattering centered at the wave vector QAFM of the low-temperature AFM structure, are observed up to the highest measured temperature of 300 K and at high energy transfer ( >60 meV). The L dependence of the scattering implies rather weak interlayer coupling in the tetragonal c direction corresponding to nearly two-dimensional fluctuations in the (ab) plane. The spin correlation lengths within the Fe layer are found to be anisotropic, consistent with underlying fluctuations of the AFM stripe structure. Similar to the cobalt-doped superconducting BaFe2As2 compounds, these experimental features can be adequately reproduced by a scattering model that describes short-ranged and anisotropic spin correlations with overdamped dynamics.

  3. Transcriptional correlates of disease outcome in anticoagulant-treated non-human primates infected with ebolavirus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Garamszegi

    Full Text Available Ebola virus (EBOV infection in humans and non-human primates (NHPs is highly lethal, and there is limited understanding of the mechanisms associated with pathogenesis and survival. Here, we describe a transcriptomic analysis of NHPs that survived lethal EBOV infection, compared to NHPs that did not survive. It has been previously demonstrated that anticoagulant therapeutics increase the survival rate in EBOV-infected NHPs, and that the characteristic transcriptional profile of immune response changes in anticoagulant-treated NHPs. In order to identify transcriptional signatures that correlate with survival following EBOV infection, we compared the mRNA expression profile in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from EBOV-infected NHPs that received anticoagulant treatment, to those that did not receive treatment. We identified a small set of 20 genes that are highly confident predictors and can accurately distinguish between surviving and non-surviving animals. In addition, we identified a larger predictive signature of 238 genes that correlated with disease outcome and treatment; this latter signature was associated with a variety of host responses, such as the inflammatory response, T cell death, and inhibition of viral replication. Notably, among survival-associated genes were subsets of genes that are transcriptionally regulated by (1 CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha, (2 tumor protein 53, and (3 megakaryoblastic leukemia 1 and myocardin-like protein 2. These pathways merit further investigation as potential transcriptional signatures of host immune response to EBOV infection.

  4. Correlation between human observer performance and model observer performance in differential phase contrast CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Ke; Garrett, John; Chen, Guang-Hong

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: With the recently expanding interest and developments in x-ray differential phase contrast CT (DPC-CT), the evaluation of its task-specific detection performance and comparison with the corresponding absorption CT under a given radiation dose constraint become increasingly important. Mathematical model observers are often used to quantify the performance of imaging systems, but their correlations with actual human observers need to be confirmed for each new imaging method. This work is an investigation of the effects of stochastic DPC-CT noise on the correlation of detection performance between model and human observers with signal-known-exactly (SKE) detection tasks.Methods: The detectabilities of different objects (five disks with different diameters and two breast lesion masses) embedded in an experimental DPC-CT noise background were assessed using both model and human observers. The detectability of the disk and lesion signals was then measured using five types of model observers including the prewhitening ideal observer, the nonprewhitening (NPW) observer, the nonprewhitening observer with eye filter and internal noise (NPWEi), the prewhitening observer with eye filter and internal noise (PWEi), and the channelized Hotelling observer (CHO). The same objects were also evaluated by four human observers using the two-alternative forced choice method. The results from the model observer experiment were quantitatively compared to the human observer results to assess the correlation between the two techniques.Results: The contrast-to-detail (CD) curve generated by the human observers for the disk-detection experiments shows that the required contrast to detect a disk is inversely proportional to the square root of the disk size. Based on the CD curves, the ideal and NPW observers tend to systematically overestimate the performance of the human observers. The NPWEi and PWEi observers did not predict human performance well either, as the slopes of their CD

  5. Modulation of the Endocannabinoids N-Arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG on Executive Functions in Humans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana B Fagundo

    Full Text Available Animal studies point to an implication of the endocannabinoid system on executive functions. In humans, several studies have suggested an association between acute or chronic use of exogenous cannabinoids (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and executive impairments. However, to date, no published reports establish the relationship between endocannabinoids, as biomarkers of the cannabinoid neurotransmission system, and executive functioning in humans. The aim of the present study was to explore the association between circulating levels of plasma endocannabinoids N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG and executive functions (decision making, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility in healthy subjects. One hundred and fifty seven subjects were included and assessed with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; Stroop Color and Word Test; and Iowa Gambling Task. All participants were female, aged between 18 and 60 years and spoke Spanish as their first language. Results showed a negative correlation between 2-AG and cognitive flexibility performance (r = -.37; p<.05. A positive correlation was found between AEA concentrations and both cognitive flexibility (r = .59; p<.05 and decision making performance (r = .23; P<.05. There was no significant correlation between either 2-AG (r = -.17 or AEA (r = -.08 concentrations and inhibition response. These results show, in humans, a relevant modulation of the endocannabinoid system on prefrontal-dependent cognitive functioning. The present study might have significant implications for the underlying executive alterations described in some psychiatric disorders currently associated with endocannabinoids deregulation (namely drug abuse/dependence, depression, obesity and eating disorders. Understanding the neurobiology of their dysexecutive profile might certainly contribute to the development of new treatments and pharmacological approaches.

  6. Canine classical seminoma: a specific malignant type with human classifications is highly correlated with tumor angiogenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jong-Hyuk; Yu, Chi-Ho; Yhee, Ji-Young; Im, Keum-Soon; Kim, Na-Hyun; Sur, Jung-Hyang

    2010-01-01

    Human seminoma is classified as classical seminoma (SE) and spermatocytic seminoma (SS). Human SE is known to be more malignant and metastasizing more frequently than SS. Tumor angiogenesis is highly related with tumor progression and metastasis, with microvessel density (MVD) being an important parameter of metastatic potential. Canine seminoma is not yet well-established as SE or SS type including correlation with angiogenesis. We classified canine SE and SS, and then compared them to tumor associated vessels. Twenty-three cases of canine seminomas (2 intratubular, 9 diffuse, and 12 intratubular/diffuse seminomas showing both intratubular and diffuse patterns) were classified as SE or SS by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using monoclonal antibody against PLAP and by PAS stain. The histopathological data were then compared to see if there was a correlation with SE or SS. Angiogenesis of seminomas were evaluated by immunohistochemical assay using polyclonal antibody against Von Willebrand factor (vWF) and by calculating the means of MVD, vessels area and perimeters using computerized image analysis. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program was used for various statistical analyses. The numbers of PLAP+/PAS+ canine SEs were 8/23 (34.8%) and PLAP-/PAS- SSs were 15/23 (61.2%). All SE cases (8/8, 100%) were intratubular/diffuse types. SS types included 2 intratubular (2/15, 13.3%), 9 diffuse (9/15, 60%), and 4 intratubular/diffuse (4/15, 26.7%) types. MVD and vascular parameters in SEs were significantly higher than in SSs, showing the highest value in the intratubular/diffuse type. Seminomas observed with neoplastic cells invasion of vessels presented higher perimeter and area values than seminomas without conformed neoplastic cells invasion. In this study, we demonstrated a positive relationship between canine SE and tumor angiogenesis. Furthermore, we also showed that a tumor cells invasion of vessels were a correlated vascular parameter. Although

  7. Canine classical seminoma: a specific malignant type with human classifications is highly correlated with tumor angiogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim Jong-Hyuk

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Human seminoma is classified as classical seminoma (SE and spermatocytic seminoma (SS. Human SE is known to be more malignant and metastasizing more frequently than SS. Tumor angiogenesis is highly related with tumor progression and metastasis, with microvessel density (MVD being an important parameter of metastatic potential. Canine seminoma is not yet well-established as SE or SS type including correlation with angiogenesis. We classified canine SE and SS, and then compared them to tumor associated vessels. Methods Twenty-three cases of canine seminomas (2 intratubular, 9 diffuse, and 12 intratubular/diffuse seminomas showing both intratubular and diffuse patterns were classified as SE or SS by immunohistochemistry (IHC using monoclonal antibody against PLAP and by PAS stain. The histopathological data were then compared to see if there was a correlation with SE or SS. Angiogenesis of seminomas were evaluated by immunohistochemical assay using polyclonal antibody against Von Willebrand factor (vWF and by calculating the means of MVD, vessels area and perimeters using computerized image analysis. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS program was used for various statistical analyses. Results The numbers of PLAP+/PAS+ canine SEs were 8/23 (34.8% and PLAP-/PAS- SSs were 15/23 (61.2%. All SE cases (8/8, 100% were intratubular/diffuse types. SS types included 2 intratubular (2/15, 13.3%, 9 diffuse (9/15, 60%, and 4 intratubular/diffuse (4/15, 26.7% types. MVD and vascular parameters in SEs were significantly higher than in SSs, showing the highest value in the intratubular/diffuse type. Seminomas observed with neoplastic cells invasion of vessels presented higher perimeter and area values than seminomas without conformed neoplastic cells invasion. Conclusion In this study, we demonstrated a positive relationship between canine SE and tumor angiogenesis. Furthermore, we also showed that a tumor cells invasion of vessels

  8. Correlation of Index Finger Length (2D with Height, Weight and BMI in Adult Bangladeshi Male

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karim Rezwan Hasan

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Human hand is one of the most versatile parts of the human body which plays an important role in modern medical science and evolutionary biology. By virtue of evolution and genetic arrangements, digital lengths vary from person to person according to age, sex, races, occupation or even environmental influences. It has been found that the digital lengths and their ratios are not same in different sexes and even in both hands of same individual. Specially, index to ring digit lengths and their ratios which already have been proved to represent sexual dimorphism may differ in both hands of an individual and show positive correlations with other morphological attributes like height, weight and BMI. Objectives: To analyze the variation of index finger (2D length and its correlation with height, weight and BMI in adult Bangladeshi male. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in the department of Anatomy, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka from July 2012 to June 2013 on 100 male MBBS students (20−25 years of age. With the help of digital vernier caliper measurements of index finger length (2D was recorded. Height and weight were measured by the stadiometer and weighing scale respectively. BMI was calculated from height and weight. Pearson’s correlation analysis was done to find out the correlation of index finger length with height, weight and BMI. Results: Significant correlation has been found between the lengths of index fingers (2D and height (p0.05. Conclusion: In this study, we found variation in index finger lengths of both hands of Bangladeshi male subjects, which needs further study and comparison.

  9. Gene Expression Profiling Identifies Important Genes Affected by R2 Compound Disrupting FAK and P53 Complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Golubovskaya, Vita M.; Ho, Baotran; Conroy, Jeffrey; Liu, Song; Wang, Dan; Cance, William G.

    2014-01-01

    Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor kinase that plays an important role in many cellular processes: adhesion, proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis and survival. Recently, we have shown that Roslin 2 or R2 (1-benzyl-15,3,5,7-tetraazatricyclo[3.3.1.1~3,7~]decane) compound disrupts FAK and p53 proteins, activates p53 transcriptional activity, and blocks tumor growth. In this report we performed a microarray gene expression analysis of R2-treated HCT116 p53 +/+ and p53 −/− cells and detected 1484 genes that were significantly up- or down-regulated (p < 0.05) in HCT116 p53 +/+ cells but not in p53 −/− cells. Among up-regulated genes in HCT p53 +/+ cells we detected critical p53 targets: Mdm-2, Noxa-1, and RIP1. Among down-regulated genes, Met, PLK2, KIF14, BIRC2 and other genes were identified. In addition, a combination of R2 compound with M13 compound that disrupts FAK and Mmd-2 complex or R2 and Nutlin-1 that disrupts Mdm-2 and p53 decreased clonogenicity of HCT116 p53 +/+ colon cancer cells more significantly than each agent alone in a p53-dependent manner. Thus, the report detects gene expression profile in response to R2 treatment and demonstrates that the combination of drugs targeting FAK, Mdm-2, and p53 can be a novel therapy approach

  10. An Investigation of 2+1 Correlations

    CERN Document Server

    Lyons, Harry

    2016-01-01

    The properties of the quark gluon plasma can be studied by comparing the nature of hard scatters in a vacuum with those in a heavy ion collision. As a scattered parton traverses the medium it interacts strongly and this interaction can be observed by looking at the resulting jet's properties. It is important to control the path length travelled by the parton in order to fully understand the quenching mechanism. In this report a method of constraining path length known as a 2+1 correlation is studied by generating simple models of heavy ion events and building the correlation functions following the denition of the 2 + 1 correlation. There is then discussion on how to remove the background and isolate the jet contributions to obtain useful properties such as jet widths and jet yields.

  11. Expression of oncogen c-erbB-2 (neu/HER-2) in human breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michelin, Severino C.; Mayo, Jose

    2000-01-01

    Breast cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of death from cancer among women and represents the most serious challenge to therapeutic control. Amplification and overexpression of the c-erbB-2 proto-oncogene occurs in as many as 30 % of all breast cancers and has been correlated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. This gene know as neu, HER-2 or c-erbB-2 in among those most frequently altered in human cancer. It was first identified as a transforming gene activated in chemically induced rat neuroectodermal tumors. Early critical studies linked changes in erbB-2 expression and gene copy number to several human cancer, notably breast, ovarian and gastric cancer. Owing to its accessible location at the cell surface, erbB-2 is now under intensive scrutiny as a therapeutic target. In this review we will summarize the involvement of the c-erbB-2 gene in tumorigenesis. (author)

  12. [Correlation between PMI and DNA degradation of costicartilage and dental pulp cells in human being].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Ren; Wang, Wei-ping; Xiong, Ping

    2005-08-01

    To probe the correlation between the postmortem interval (PMI) and the DNA degradation of costicartilage and dental pulp cells in human being after death, and to seek a new method for estimating PMI. The image cytometry was used to measure the DNA degradation under different ambient temperatures (30-35 degrees C, 15-20 degrees C) in 0-15 days after death. The average DNA content of two kinds of tissue was degradated with the prolongation of PMI. But there was a plateau period of 0-4 days for dental pulp cells of human being in 15-20 degrees C. There was a high negative correlativity PPMI. PMI could be estimated accurately according to the DNA degradation of costicartilage and dental pulp cells in human being after death.

  13. Detection of human effluents by a MOS gas sensor in correlation to VOC quantification by GC/MS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herberger, S.; Herold, M.; Ulmer, H. [Research and Development, AppliedSensor GmbH, Gerhard-Kindler-Str. 8, D-72770 Reutlingen (Germany); Burdack-Freitag, A.; Mayer, F. [Fraunhofer-Institute for Building Physics (IBP), Fraunhoferstr. 10, D-83626 Valley/Oberlaindern (Germany)

    2010-11-15

    Due to increasing interest in indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring for demand controlled ventilation (DCV) aiming at improved perceived air quality, health, energy and cost saving, the objective of this study has been the development of a sensor module based on a single microelectromechanical-system (MEMS) metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gas sensor for IAQ monitoring as close as possible to the human sensory impression in indoor environments. Based on the results of a statistical evaluation on human induced volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the ambient air of indoor environments correlating with human presence and perceived air quality, the performance of differently doped SnO{sub 2} thick film gas sensor materials has been investigated in laboratory and by means of field tests in order to find the most promising sensor material for IAQ monitoring based on the detection of changes of human induced VOCs in indoor air. Implementation of an empirical evaluation algorithm reversing proportionality of anthropogenic CO{sub 2} production and other bio-effluent generation allows prediction of CO{sub 2} equivalent units. Analytical instrumentation and reference sensors served to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed sensor module in real-life. (author)

  14. Human articular cartilage: in vitro correlation of MRI and histologic findings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uhl, M.; Allmann, K.H.; Laubenberger, J.; Langer, M. [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital of Freiburg (Germany); Ihling, C.; Tauer, U.; Adler, C.P. [Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Freiburg (Germany)

    1998-09-01

    The aim of our study was to correlate MRI with histologic findings in normal and degenerative cartilage. Twenty-two human knees derived from patients undergoing amputation were examined with 1.0- and 1.5-T MR imaging units. Firstly, we optimized two fat-suppressed 3D gradient-echo sequences. In this pilot study two knees were examined with fast imaging with steady precession (FISP) sequences and fast low-angle shot (FLASH, SPGR) sequence by varying the flip angles (40, 60, 90 ) and combining each flip angle with different echo time (7, 10 or 11, 20 ms). We chose the sequences with the best visual contrast between the cartilage layers and the best measured contrast-to-noise ratio between cartilage and bone marrow. Therefore, we used a 3D FLASH fat-saturated sequence (TR/TE/flip angle = 50/11 ms/40 ) and a 3D FISP fat-saturated sequence (TR/TE/flip angle = 40/10 ms/40 ) for cartilage imaging in 22 human knees. The images were obtained at various angles of the patellar cartilage in relation to the main magnetic field (0, 55, 90 ). The MR appearances were classified into five categories: normal, intracartilaginous signal changes, diffuse thinning (cartilage thickness < 3 mm), superficial erosions, and cartilage ulcers. After imaging, the knees were examined macroscopically and photographed. In addition, we performed histologic studies using light microscopy with several different stainings, polarization, and dark field microscopy as well as electron microscopy. The structural characteristics with the cartilage lesions were correlated with the MR findings. We identified a hyperintense superficial zone in the MR image which did not correlate to the histologically identifiable superficial zone. The second lamina was hypointense on MRI and correlated to the bulk of the radial zone. The third (or deep) cartilage lamina in the MR image seemed to represent the combination of the lowest portion of the radial zone and the calcified cartilage. The width of the hypointense second

  15. Human articular cartilage: in vitro correlation of MRI and histologic findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uhl, M.; Allmann, K.H.; Laubenberger, J.; Langer, M.; Ihling, C.; Tauer, U.; Adler, C.P.

    1998-01-01

    The aim of our study was to correlate MRI with histologic findings in normal and degenerative cartilage. Twenty-two human knees derived from patients undergoing amputation were examined with 1.0- and 1.5-T MR imaging units. Firstly, we optimized two fat-suppressed 3D gradient-echo sequences. In this pilot study two knees were examined with fast imaging with steady precession (FISP) sequences and fast low-angle shot (FLASH, SPGR) sequence by varying the flip angles (40, 60, 90 ) and combining each flip angle with different echo time (7, 10 or 11, 20 ms). We chose the sequences with the best visual contrast between the cartilage layers and the best measured contrast-to-noise ratio between cartilage and bone marrow. Therefore, we used a 3D FLASH fat-saturated sequence (TR/TE/flip angle = 50/11 ms/40 ) and a 3D FISP fat-saturated sequence (TR/TE/flip angle = 40/10 ms/40 ) for cartilage imaging in 22 human knees. The images were obtained at various angles of the patellar cartilage in relation to the main magnetic field (0, 55, 90 ). The MR appearances were classified into five categories: normal, intracartilaginous signal changes, diffuse thinning (cartilage thickness < 3 mm), superficial erosions, and cartilage ulcers. After imaging, the knees were examined macroscopically and photographed. In addition, we performed histologic studies using light microscopy with several different stainings, polarization, and dark field microscopy as well as electron microscopy. The structural characteristics with the cartilage lesions were correlated with the MR findings. We identified a hyperintense superficial zone in the MR image which did not correlate to the histologically identifiable superficial zone. The second lamina was hypointense on MRI and correlated to the bulk of the radial zone. The third (or deep) cartilage lamina in the MR image seemed to represent the combination of the lowest portion of the radial zone and the calcified cartilage. The width of the hypointense second

  16. Radiobiological hypoxic fraction does not correlate with pO2 measurements in eight human tumor xenografts into nude mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taghian, A.; Huang, P.; Griffon, G.; Hartford, A.; Allam, A.; Costa, A. da; Kozin, S.; Suit, H.D.

    1997-01-01

    Purpose/Objective: Clinical and laboratory reports suggest that hypoxia limits local control probability in tumors treated by radiation. Significant increase in the TCD 50 (the dose of radiation needed to control 50% of the tumors) was obtained in a number of tumor models when the tumors were rendered hypoxic by clamping. Furthermore, recent data have shown the value of measuring the pO2 using electrodes in predicting the tumor response to radiation in cervical cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between the radiobiological hypoxic fraction (HF) and the pO2 measurements of human tumor xenografts. Materials and Methods: Eight human tumor xenografts (five glioblastoma, one squamous cell carcinoma, one colon cancer, and one soft tissue sarcoma) were used in these experiments. Tumor chunks 2 mm in diameter were implanted into the hindleg of 5 Gy whole-body irradiated nude mice. When the tumor size reached 110 mm 3 , radiation was administered in a single dose ranging from 17.5 Gy to 90 Gy in hypoxic conditions. Acute hypoxia was induced by clamping the tumor bearing leg three minutes before and during the treatment. When aerobic conditions were required, the tumor bearing leg was immobilized by a hook which fitted around the ankle. Seven to 10 tumors were assigned to each dose level in each assay; there were 6 to 8 dose levels per assay. Starting at 2-3 weeks after irradiation, the animals were examined once per week and scored for presence of local tumor; if present, tumor diameters were measured. Tumor response is described in terms of radiation dose (in Gy) required to control 50% of the xenografts (TCD 50 ). The (HF) was determined using the formula of Howes (HF=e - ((TCD 50 hypoxic-TCD 50 air)(Do hypoxic)) and assuming an oxygen enhancement ratio of 3.0: (D o hyp=D o air x 3.0) (the D o air was separately determined in vitro for the corresponding cell lines). The pO2 measurements used electrodes as published (Boucher et al

  17. Correlations between RNA and protein expression profiles in 23 human cell lines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pontén Fredrik

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Central Dogma of biology holds, in famously simplified terms, that DNA makes RNA makes proteins, but there is considerable uncertainty regarding the general, genome-wide correlation between levels of RNA and corresponding proteins. Therefore, to assess degrees of this correlation we compared the RNA profiles (determined using both cDNA- and oligo-based microarrays and protein profiles (determined immunohistochemically in tissue microarrays of 1066 gene products in 23 human cell lines. Results A high mean correlation coefficient (0.52 was obtained from the pairwise comparison of RNA levels determined by the two platforms. Significant correlations, with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.445, between protein and RNA levels were also obtained for a third of the specific gene products. However, the correlation coefficients between levels of RNA and protein products of specific genes varied widely, and the mean correlations between the protein and corresponding RNA levels determined using the cDNA- and oligo-based microarrays were 0.25 and 0.20, respectively. Conclusion Significant correlations were found in one third of the examined RNA species and corresponding proteins. These results suggest that RNA profiling might provide indirect support to antibodies' specificity, since whenever a evident correlation between the RNA and protein profiles exists, this can sustain that the antibodies used in the immunoassay recognized their cognate antigens.

  18. Proteomic characterization of the human centrosome by protein correlation profiling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Jens S; Wilkinson, Christopher J; Mayor, Thibault

    2003-01-01

    chromosomes between dividing cells. Despite the importance of this organelle to cell biology and more than 100 years of study, many aspects of its function remain enigmatic and its structure and composition are still largely unknown. We performed a mass-spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of human...... centrosomes in the interphase of the cell cycle by quantitatively profiling hundreds of proteins across several centrifugation fractions. True centrosomal proteins were revealed by both correlation with already known centrosomal proteins and in vivo localization. We identified and validated 23 novel...... components and identified 41 likely candidates as well as the vast majority of the known centrosomal proteins in a large background of nonspecific proteins. Protein correlation profiling permits the analysis of any multiprotein complex that can be enriched by fractionation but not purified to homogeneity....

  19. Text Summarization Evaluation: Correlating Human Performance on an Extrinsic Task with Automatic Intrinsic Metrics

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    President, Stacy F; Dorr, Bonnie J

    2006-01-01

    This research describes two types of summarization evaluation methods, intrinsic and extrinsic, and concentrates on determining the level of correlation between automatic intrinsic methods and human...

  20. O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase activity correlates with the therapeutic response of human rhabdomyosarcoma xenografts to 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-(trans-4-methylcyclohexyl)-1-nitrosourea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brent, T.P.; Houghton, P.J.; Houghton, J.A.

    1985-01-01

    Immune-deprived female CBA/CaJ mice bearing xenografts of six different human rhabdomyosarcoma lines were treated with 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-(trans-4-methylcyclohexyl)-1-nitrosourea (MeCCNU). Tumor responses were compared with levels of O 6 -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase activity because of evidence indicating that repair of DNA interstrand cross-link precursors, mediated by the transferase, may be an important determinant of MeCCNU cytotoxicity. Levels of methyltransferase in tumor extracts were measured by determining the loss of O 6 -methylguanine from 3 H-labeled methylated DNA. Five of the six tumor lines examined showed either no response to MeCCNU or regrowth after an incomplete response. In each instance, the extent of tumor regression correlated with the level of O 6 -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase activity in tumor extracts. These results suggest that O 6 -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase levels in human tumor cells may be a clinically useful predictor of sensitivity to the chloroethylnitrosoureas

  1. Correlation between CHA2DS2-VASc Score and Glaucoma Treatment and Prognosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pikkel, Yoav Y; Krebs, Daniel; Igal, Vadim; Sharabi-Nov, Adi; Epstein, Irena; Pikkel, Joseph

    2018-01-01

    To find if CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc scale can accurately predict the treatment, prognosis, and outcome for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). A survey of 250,000 patient years was taken, using the records of the Ophthalmology Department at Ziv Medical Center. Data was collected regarding the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), visual field (VF), line of treatment (LOT) of glaucoma, and all the data needed to accurately calculate CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score for each patient. Sixty-seven patients were included in the statistical analysis. The mean age was 72.5 years. The mean CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score was 3.27 + -1.7. Positive Pearson's correlation coefficients were found for LOT and CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score, 0.35, and for RNFL grade and CHA2DS2-VASc score, 0.37. The correlation was negative for RNFL width and CHA2DS2-VASc score, -0.35. CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score was shown to be correlated with glaucoma. This correlation was manifested positively by the LOT needed to stop glaucoma progression, with higher CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc scores correlated with more aggressive treatment. Since glaucoma is a disease with a progressing nature, it is important to treat patients aggressively on one hand, while offering the most benign treatment as possible on the other hand. Modification of the CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score could achieve an even higher correlation.

  2. Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics - Vol 12, No 2 (2011)

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics - Vol 12, No 2 (2011) ... Serum interferon-alpha level in first degree relatives of systemic lupus erythematosus patients: Correlation with autoantibodies titers · EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL ... LB Salah, CB Salem, F B'Chir, K Bouraoui, F Broly, S Saguem, 183-186.

  3. Nitrosylated hemoglobin levels in human venous erythrocytes correlate with vascular endothelial function measured by digital reactive hyperemia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irina I Lobysheva

    Full Text Available Impaired nitric oxide (NO-dependent endothelial function is associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases. We hypothesized that erythrocyte levels of nitrosylated hemoglobin (HbNO-heme may reflect vascular endothelial function in vivo. We developed a modified subtraction method using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR spectroscopy to identify the 5-coordinate α-HbNO (HbNO concentration in human erythrocytes and examined its correlation with endothelial function assessed by peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT. Changes in digital pulse amplitude were measured by PAT during reactive hyperemia following brachial arterial occlusion in a group of healthy volunteers (50 subjects. Erythrocyte HbNO levels were measured at baseline and at the peak of hyperemia. We digitally subtracted an individual model EPR signal of erythrocyte free radicals from the whole EPR spectrum to unmask and quantitate the HbNO EPR signals.Mean erythrocyte HbNO concentration at baseline was 219+/-12 nmol/L (n = 50. HbNO levels and reactive hyperemia (RH indexes were higher in female (free of contraceptive pills than male subjects. We observed a dynamic increase of HbNO levels in erythrocytes isolated at 1-2 min of post-occlusion hyperemia (120+/-8% of basal levels; post-occlusion HbNO levels were correlated with basal levels. Both basal and post-occlusion HbNO levels were significantly correlated with reactive hyperemia (RH indexes (r = 0.58; P<0.0001 for basal HbNO.The study demonstrates quantitative measurements of 5-coordinate α-HbNO in human venous erythrocytes, its dynamic physiologic regulation and correlation with endothelial function measured by tonometry during hyperemia. This opens the way to further understanding of in vivo determinants of NO bioavailability in human circulation.

  4. The Role of Circulating Slit2, the One of the Newly Batokines, in Human Diabetes Mellitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yea Eun Kang

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundSlit2 is a new secreted protein from adipose tissue that improves glucose hemostasis in mice; however, there is no study about the serum levels and precise role of Slit2 in human. The aim of this study is to explore the serum level of Slit2 in human, and to identify the role of Slit2 in diabetes mellitus (DM.MethodsThe participants of this study consist of 38 subjects with newly diagnosed DM, and 75 healthy subjects as a control group. Serum Slit2 levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Relationship between circulating Slit2 and diabetic related factors was investigated in diabetic group compared with non-diabetic group. Additionally, the correlations between the serum level of Slit2 and diverse metabolic parameters were analyzed.ResultsCirculating Slit2 level was more decreased in diabetic group than in control group, but there was no significant difference statistically. Interestingly, serum levels of Slit2 were significantly negatively correlated to the serum concentrations of fasting glucose (coefficient r=–0.246, P=0.008, the serum concentrations of postprandial glucose (coefficient r=–0.233, P=0.017, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c; coefficient r=–0.357, P<0.001.ConclusionFrom our study, the first report of circulating Slit2 levels in human, circulating Slit2 level significantly negatively correlated with serum glucose and HbA1c. Our results suggest that the circulating Slit2 may play a role in maintainence of glucose homeostasis in human, even though exact contribution and mechanism are not yet known.

  5. WESBES: A Wireless Embedded Sensor for Improving Human Comfort Metrics using Temporospatially Correlated Data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Joel Hewlett; Milos Manic; Craig Rieger

    2012-08-01

    When utilized properly, energy management systems (EMS) can offer significant energy savings by optimizing the efficiency of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. However, difficulty often arises due to the constraints imposed by the need to maintain an acceptable level of comfort for a building’s occupants. This challenge is compounded by the fact that human comfort is difficult to define in a measurable way. One way to address this problem is to provide a building manager with direct feedback from the building’s users. Still, this data is relative in nature, making it difficult to determine the actions that need to be taken, and while some useful comfort correlations have been devised, such as ASHRAE’s Predicted Mean Vote index, they are rules of thumb that do not connect individual feedback with direct, diverse feedback sensing. As they are a correlation, quantifying effects of climate, age of buildings and associated defects such as draftiness, are outside the realm of this correlation. Therefore, the contribution of this paper is the Wireless Embedded Smart Block for Environment Sensing (WESBES); an affordable wireless sensor platform that allows subjective human comfort data to be directly paired with temporospatially correlated objective sensor measurements for use in EMS. The described device offers a flexible research platform for analyzing the relationship between objective and subjective occupant feedback in order to formulate more meaningful measures of human comfort. It could also offer an affordable and expandable option for real world deployment in existing EMS.

  6. Correlation between total nitrite/nitrate concentrations and monoamine oxidase (types A and B) and semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase enzymatic activities in human mesenteric arteries from non-diabetic and type 2 diabetic patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nunes, S.F.; Figueiredo, I.V. [Laboratório de Farmacologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra (Portugal); Pereira, J.S. [Instituto Português de Oncologia de Coimbra, Coimbra (Portugal); Lopes, M.C.; Caramona, M.M. [Laboratório de Farmacologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra (Portugal)

    2011-11-25

    The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between total nitrite/nitrate concentrations (NOx) and the kinetic parameters of monoamine oxidase enzymes (MAO-A and MAO-B) and semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) in human mesenteric arteries. Arteries were from non-diabetic and type 2 diabetic patients with sigmoid or rectum carcinoma for whom surgery was the first option and who were not exposed to neo-adjuvant therapy. Segments of human inferior mesenteric arteries from non-diabetic (61.1 ± 8.9 years old, 7 males and 5 females, N = 12) and type 2 diabetic patients (65.8 ± 6.2 years old, 8 males and 4 females, N = 12) were used to determine NOx concentrations and the kinetic parameters of MAO-A, MAO-B and SSAO by the Griess reaction and by radiochemical assay, respectively. The NOx concentrations in arteries from diabetic patients did not differ significantly from those of the non-diabetic group (10.28 ± 4.61 vs 10.71 ± 4.32 nmol/mg protein, respectively). In the non-diabetic group, there was a positive correlation between NOx concentrations and MAO-B parameters: K{sub m} (r = 0.612, P = 0.034) and V{sub max} (r = 0.593, P = 0.042), and a negative correlation with the SSAO parameters: K{sub m} (r = -0.625, P = 0.029) and V{sub max} (r = -0.754, P = 0.005). However, in the diabetic group no correlation was found between NOx concentrations and the three kinetic parameters of the enzymes. These results suggest an important function of sympathetic nerves and vascular NOx concentrations in arteries of non-diabetic patients. Thus, these results confirm the importance of a balance between oxidants and antioxidants in the maintenance of vascular homeostasis to prevent oxidative stress.

  7. [11C]befloxatone distribution is well correlated to monoamine oxidase A protein levels in the human brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zanotti-Fregonara, Paolo; Bottlaender, Michel

    2014-12-01

    [(11)C]befloxatone is a positron emission tomography radioligand to image monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) in the brain, which has been used in preclinical studies and in clinical protocols. However, a recent study found that [(11)C]befloxatone binding potential (k(3)/k(4)) has a poor correlation with MAO-A protein levels measured in the human brain. We here show that this poor correlation only depends on the choice of the parameter when performing kinetic modeling. In particular, the total volume of distribution of [(11)C]befloxatone shows a tight correlation with both protein and mRNA levels of MAO-A in the human brain.

  8. Inhibition of Avian Influenza A Virus Replication in Human Cells by Host Restriction Factor TUFM Is Correlated with Autophagy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuo, Shu-Ming; Chen, Chi-Jene; Chang, Shih-Cheng; Liu, Tzu-Jou; Chen, Yi-Hsiang; Huang, Sheng-Yu; Shih, Shin-Ru

    2017-06-13

    Avian influenza A viruses generally do not replicate efficiently in human cells, but substitution of glutamic acid (Glu, E) for lysine (Lys, K) at residue 627 of avian influenza virus polymerase basic protein 2 (PB2) can serve to overcome host restriction and facilitate human infectivity. Although PB2 residue 627 is regarded as a species-specific signature of influenza A viruses, host restriction factors associated with PB2 627 E have yet to be fully investigated. We conducted immunoprecipitation, followed by differential proteomic analysis, to identify proteins associating with PB2 627 K (human signature) and PB2 627 E (avian signature) of influenza A/WSN/1933(H1N1) virus, and the results indicated that Tu elongation factor, mitochondrial (TUFM), had a higher binding affinity for PB2 627 E than PB2 627 K in transfected human cells. Stronger binding of TUFM to avian-signature PB2 590 G/ 591 Q and PB2 627 E in the 2009 swine-origin pandemic H1N1 and 2013 avian-origin H7N9 influenza A viruses was similarly observed. Viruses carrying avian-signature PB2 627 E demonstrated increased replication in TUFM-deficient cells, but viral replication decreased in cells overexpressing TUFM. Interestingly, the presence of TUFM specifically inhibited the replication of PB2 627 E viruses, but not PB2 627 K viruses. In addition, enhanced levels of interaction between TUFM and PB2 627 E were noted in the mitochondrial fraction of infected cells. Furthermore, TUFM-dependent autophagy was reduced in TUFM-deficient cells infected with PB2 627 E virus; however, autophagy remained consistent in PB2 627 K virus-infected cells. The results suggest that TUFM acts as a host restriction factor that impedes avian-signature influenza A virus replication in human cells in a manner that correlates with autophagy. IMPORTANCE An understanding of the mechanisms that influenza A viruses utilize to shift host tropism and the identification of host restriction factors that can limit infection are both

  9. Detecting PM2.5's Correlations between Neighboring Cities Using a Time-Lagged Cross-Correlation Coefficient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fang; Wang, Lin; Chen, Yuming

    2017-08-31

    In order to investigate the time-dependent cross-correlations of fine particulate (PM2.5) series among neighboring cities in Northern China, in this paper, we propose a new cross-correlation coefficient, the time-lagged q-L dependent height crosscorrelation coefficient (denoted by p q (τ, L)), which incorporates the time-lag factor and the fluctuation amplitude information into the analogous height cross-correlation analysis coefficient. Numerical tests are performed to illustrate that the newly proposed coefficient ρ q (τ, L) can be used to detect cross-correlations between two series with time lags and to identify different range of fluctuations at which two series possess cross-correlations. Applying the new coefficient to analyze the time-dependent cross-correlations of PM2.5 series between Beijing and the three neighboring cities of Tianjin, Zhangjiakou, and Baoding, we find that time lags between the PM2.5 series with larger fluctuations are longer than those between PM2.5 series withsmaller fluctuations. Our analysis also shows that cross-correlations between the PM2.5 series of two neighboring cities are significant and the time lags between two PM2.5 series of neighboring cities are significantly non-zero. These findings providenew scientific support on the view that air pollution in neighboring cities can affect one another not simultaneously but with a time lag.

  10. Activation of p53 by nutlin-3a induces apoptosis and cellular senescence in human glioblastoma multiforme.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruth Villalonga-Planells

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults. Despite concerted efforts to improve current therapies and develop novel clinical approaches, patient survival remains poor. As such, increasing attention has focused on developing new therapeutic strategies that specifically target the apoptotic pathway in order to improve treatment responses. Recently, nutlins, small-molecule antagonists of MDM2, have been developed to inhibit p53-MDM2 interaction and activate p53 signaling in cancer cells. Glioma cell lines and primary cultured glioblastoma cells were treated with nutlin-3a. Nutlin-3a induced p53-dependent G1- and G2-M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in glioma cell lines with normal TP53 status. In addition, nutlin-arrested glioma cells show morphological features of senescence and persistent induction of p21 protein. Furthermore, senescence induced by nutlin-3a might be depending on mTOR pathway activity. In wild-type TP53 primary cultured cells, exposure to nutlin-3a resulted in variable degrees of apoptosis as well as cellular features of senescence. Nutlin-3a-induced apoptosis and senescence were firmly dependent on the presence of functional p53, as revealed by the fact that glioblastoma cells with knockdown p53 with specific siRNA, or cells with mutated or functionally impaired p53 pathway, were completely insensitive to the drug. Finally, we also found that nutlin-3a increased response of glioma cells to radiation therapy. The results provide a basis for the rational use of MDM2 antagonists as a novel treatment option for glioblastoma patients.

  11. Post-event human decision errors: operator action tree/time reliability correlation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hall, R.E.; Fragola, J.; Wreathall, J.

    1982-11-01

    This report documents an interim framework for the quantification of the probability of errors of decision on the part of nuclear power plant operators after the initiation of an accident. The framework can easily be incorporated into an event tree/fault tree analysis. The method presented consists of a structure called the operator action tree and a time reliability correlation which assumes the time available for making a decision to be the dominating factor in situations requiring cognitive human response. This limited approach decreases the magnitude and complexity of the decision modeling task. Specifically, in the past, some human performance models have attempted prediction by trying to emulate sequences of human actions, or by identifying and modeling the information processing approach applicable to the task. The model developed here is directed at describing the statistical performance of a representative group of hypothetical individuals responding to generalized situations

  12. Post-event human decision errors: operator action tree/time reliability correlation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hall, R E; Fragola, J; Wreathall, J

    1982-11-01

    This report documents an interim framework for the quantification of the probability of errors of decision on the part of nuclear power plant operators after the initiation of an accident. The framework can easily be incorporated into an event tree/fault tree analysis. The method presented consists of a structure called the operator action tree and a time reliability correlation which assumes the time available for making a decision to be the dominating factor in situations requiring cognitive human response. This limited approach decreases the magnitude and complexity of the decision modeling task. Specifically, in the past, some human performance models have attempted prediction by trying to emulate sequences of human actions, or by identifying and modeling the information processing approach applicable to the task. The model developed here is directed at describing the statistical performance of a representative group of hypothetical individuals responding to generalized situations.

  13. Correlation Between Placental Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Protein Expression Throughout Gestation in Normal Human Pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basu, Jayasri; Agamasu, Enyonam; Bendek, Bolek; Salafia, Carolyn M; Mishra, Aruna; Lopez, Julia Vasquez; Kroes, Jessica; Dragich, Sharon Claire; Thakur, Ashley; Mikhail, Magdy

    2018-04-01

    Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), specifically MMP-9 plays a role in human placentation. The enzyme confers an invasive ability to cytotrophoblasts and degrades the endometrial matrix as the cells infiltrate the decidua to keep up with placental growth. Since tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) can induce the synthesis of MMP-9, we investigated the patterns of changes in and correlation between placental villous MMP-9 and TNF-α expressions throughout normal human gestation. Placentas were obtained from 179 normal pregnant women who underwent elective abortion or term delivery. Chorionic villi isolated from placental samples were grouped as first, second, and third trimester (7 0/7 -13 0/7 , 13 1/7 -23 6/7 , and 37 0/7 -42 4/7 weeks, respectively). Chorionic villous TNF-α and MMP-9 proteins were assayed using enzyme immunoassay kits. There were significant differences in MMP-9 and TNF-α protein expressions among the trimester groups ( P = .001). The MMP-9 protein increased progressively with an increase in gestational age (GA), but TNF-α peaked in the second trimester. Within each trimester group, we searched for the effects of variation of GA in days on the 2 variables. A significant positive correlation between MMP-9 and GA was noted in the first trimester ( r = 0.364, P = .005). No other comparisons were significant. When GA was controlled for, partial correlation revealed a significant positive correlation between TNF-α and MMP-9 only in the second trimester ( r = 0.300, P = .018). We hypothesize that the TNF-α peak and the positive correlation between TNF-α and MMP-9 in the second trimester of normal human gestation could contribute toward a successful pregnancy outcome.

  14. Social Competence among Low-Income Preschoolers: Emotion Socialization Practices and Social Cognitive Correlates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garner, Pamela W.; And Others

    1994-01-01

    Two studies investigated the relationship between emotion socialization variables, social cognitive knowledge, and children's social competence in preschoolers from low-income families. Found that mothers' self-reported emotion socialization practices were related to children's emotional knowledge and sibling caregiving behavior. (MDM)

  15. Correlation of nasal geometry with aerosol deposition in human volunteers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng, Yung-Seng; Simpson, S.Q.; Cheng, Kuo-His; Swift, D.L.; Yeh, Hsu-Chi; Guilmette, R.A.

    1994-01-01

    The nasal airways act as the first filter in the respiratory tract to remove very large or small particles, that would otherwise penetrate to the lower airways. Aerosol deposition data obtained with human volunteers vary considerably under comparable experimental conditions. Reasons for the intersubject variations have been frequently attributed to the geometry of the nasal passages. Because there is no direct proof of this hypothesis, nasal deposition of ultrafine particles in human volunteers has been studied in our laboratory. Preliminary results obtained with four adult volunteers also vary considerably between subjects. The purpose of this part of the study was to establish a theoretical equation relating diffusional deposition in nasal airways to the geometrical dimensions of the individual nasal airways. This relationship was then applied to the experimental deposition data and measurement of airway morphometry for correlation

  16. An in vitro comparative study of T2 and T2* mappings of human articular cartilage at 3-Tesla MRI using histology as the standard of reference

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Taehee; Park, Sunghoon [Ajou University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Ajou University Medical Center, Musculoskeletal Imaging Laboratory, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Min, Byoung-Hyun [Ajou University School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Ajou University School of Medicine, Cartilage Regeneration Center, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Seung-Hyun [Ajou University School of Medicine, Cartilage Regeneration Center, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hakil [INHA University, School of Information and Communication Engineering, Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Hyun Young [Ajou University Medical Center, Regional Clinical Trial Center, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Yonsei University College of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kwack, Kyu-Sung [Ajou University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Ajou University Medical Center, Musculoskeletal Imaging Laboratory, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Ajou University School of Medicine, Cartilage Regeneration Center, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-07-15

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlations between T2 value, T2* value, and histological grades of degenerated human articular cartilage. T2 mapping and T2* mapping of nine tibial osteochondral specimens were obtained using a 3-T MRI after total knee arthroplasty. A total of 94 ROIs were analyzed. Histological grades were assessed using the David-Vaudey scale. Spearman's rho correlation analysis and Pearson's correlation analysis were performed. The mean relaxation values in T2 map with different histological grades (0, 1, 2) of the cartilage were 51.9 ± 9.2 ms, 55.8 ± 12.8 ms, and 59.6 ± 10.2 ms, respectively. The mean relaxation values in T2* map with different histological grades (0, 1, 2) of the cartilage were 20.3 ± 10.3 ms, 21.1 ± 12.4 ms, and 15.4 ± 8.5 ms, respectively. Spearman's rho correlation analysis confirmed a positive correlation between T2 value and histological grade (ρ = 0.313, p < 0.05). Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between T2 and T2* (r = -0.322, p < 0.05). Although T2* values showed a decreasing trend with an increase in cartilage degeneration, this correlation was not statistically significant in this study (ρ = -0.192, p = 0.129). T2 mapping was correlated with histological degeneration, and it may be a good biomarker for osteoarthritis in human articular cartilage. However, the strength of the correlation was weak (ρ = 0.313). Although T2* values showed a decreasing trend with an increase in cartilage degeneration, the correlation was not statistically significant. Therefore, T2 mapping may be more appropriate for the initial diagnosis of articular cartilage degeneration in the knee joint. Further studies on T2* mapping are needed to confirm its reliability and mechanism in cartilage degeneration. (orig.)

  17. An in vitro comparative study of T2 and T2* mappings of human articular cartilage at 3-Tesla MRI using histology as the standard of reference

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Taehee; Park, Sunghoon; Min, Byoung-Hyun; Yoon, Seung-Hyun; Kim, Hakil; Lee, Hyun Young; Kwack, Kyu-Sung

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlations between T2 value, T2* value, and histological grades of degenerated human articular cartilage. T2 mapping and T2* mapping of nine tibial osteochondral specimens were obtained using a 3-T MRI after total knee arthroplasty. A total of 94 ROIs were analyzed. Histological grades were assessed using the David-Vaudey scale. Spearman's rho correlation analysis and Pearson's correlation analysis were performed. The mean relaxation values in T2 map with different histological grades (0, 1, 2) of the cartilage were 51.9 ± 9.2 ms, 55.8 ± 12.8 ms, and 59.6 ± 10.2 ms, respectively. The mean relaxation values in T2* map with different histological grades (0, 1, 2) of the cartilage were 20.3 ± 10.3 ms, 21.1 ± 12.4 ms, and 15.4 ± 8.5 ms, respectively. Spearman's rho correlation analysis confirmed a positive correlation between T2 value and histological grade (ρ = 0.313, p < 0.05). Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between T2 and T2* (r = -0.322, p < 0.05). Although T2* values showed a decreasing trend with an increase in cartilage degeneration, this correlation was not statistically significant in this study (ρ = -0.192, p = 0.129). T2 mapping was correlated with histological degeneration, and it may be a good biomarker for osteoarthritis in human articular cartilage. However, the strength of the correlation was weak (ρ = 0.313). Although T2* values showed a decreasing trend with an increase in cartilage degeneration, the correlation was not statistically significant. Therefore, T2 mapping may be more appropriate for the initial diagnosis of articular cartilage degeneration in the knee joint. Further studies on T2* mapping are needed to confirm its reliability and mechanism in cartilage degeneration. (orig.)

  18. Sensing performance analysis on Fano resonance of metallic double-baffle contained MDM waveguide coupled ring resonator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ying; Luo, Pei; Liu, Xiaofei; Di, Yuanjian; Han, Shuaitao; Cui, Xingning; He, Lei

    2018-05-01

    Based on the transmission property and the photon localization characteristic of the surface plasmonic sub-wavelength structure, a metallic double-baffle contained metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) waveguide coupled ring resonator is proposed. Like the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), the Fano resonance can be achieved by the interference between the metallic double-baffle resonator and the ring resonator. Based on the coupled mode theory, the transmission property is analyzed. Through the numerical simulation by the finite element method (FEM), the quantitative analysis on the influences of the radius R of the ring and the coupling distance g between the metallic double-baffle resonator and the ring resonator for the figure of merit (FOM) is performed. And after the structure parameter optimization, the sensing performance of the waveguide structure is discussed. The simulation results show that the FOM value of the optimized structure can attain to 5.74 ×104 and the sensitivity of resonance wavelength with refractive index drift is about 825 nm/RIU. The range of the detected refractive index is suitable for all gases. The waveguide structure can provide effective theoretical references for the design of integrated plasmonic devices.

  19. Morphology and function: MR pineal volume and melatonin level in human saliva are correlated.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liebrich, Luisa-Sophie; Schredl, Michael; Findeisen, Peter; Groden, Christoph; Bumb, Jan Malte; Nölte, Ingo S

    2014-10-01

    To investigate the relation between circadian saliva melatonin levels and pineal volume as determined by MRI. Plasma melatonin levels follow a circadian rhythm with a high interindividual variability. In 103 healthy individuals saliva melatonin levels were determined at four time points within 24 h and MRI was performed once (3.0 Tesla, including three-dimensional T2 turbo spin echo [3D-T2-TSE], susceptibility-weighted imaging [SWI]). Pineal volume as well as cyst volume were assessed from multiplanar reconstructed 3D-T2-TSE images. Pineal calcification volume tissue was determined on SWI. To correct for hormonal inactive pineal tissue, cystic and calcified areas were excluded. Sleep quality was assessed with the Landeck Inventory for sleep quality disturbance. Solid and uncalcified pineal volume correlated to melatonin maximum (r = 0.28; P < 0.05) and area under the curve (r = 0.29; P < 0.05). Of interest, solid and uncalcified pineal volume correlated negatively with the sleep rhythm disturbances subscore (r = -0.17; P < 0.05) despite a very homogenous population. Uncalcified solid pineal tissue measured by 3D-T2-TSE and SWI is related to human saliva melatonin levels. The analysis of the sleep quality and pineal volume suggests a linkage between better sleep quality and hormonal active pineal tissue. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Vanillin protects human keratinocyte stem cells against ultraviolet B irradiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jienny; Cho, Jae Youl; Lee, Sang Yeol; Lee, Kyung-Woo; Lee, Jongsung; Song, Jae-Young

    2014-01-01

    Ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiation is one of major factors which induce cellular damages in the epidermis. We investigated protective effects and mechanisms of vanillin, a main constituent of vanilla beans, against UVB-induced cellular damages in keratinocyte stem cells (KSC). Here, vanillin significantly attenuated UVB irradiation-induced cytotoxicity. The vanillin effects were also demonstrated by the results of the senescence-associated β-galactosidase and alkaline comet assays. In addition, vanillin induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Attempts to elucidate a possible mechanism underlying the vanillin-mediated effects revealed that vanillin significantly reduced UVB-induced phosphorylation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), serine threonine kinase checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2), tumor suppressor protein 53 (p53), p38/mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38), c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK), S6 ribosomal protein (S6RP), and histone 2A family member X (H2A.X). UVB-induced activation of p53 luciferase reporter was also significantly inhibited by vanillin. In addition, while ATM inhibitor had no effect on the vanillin effects, mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) inhibitor significantly attenuated suppressive effects of vanillin on UVB-induced activation of p53 reporter in KSC. Taken together, these findings suggest that vanillin protects KSC from UVB irradiation and its effects may occur through the suppression of downstream step of MDM2 in UVB irradiation-induced p53 activation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Expression profile of the N-myc Downstream Regulated Gene 2 (NDRG2 in human cancers with focus on breast cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vogel Lotte K

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Several studies have shown that NDRG2 mRNA is down-regulated or undetectable in various human cancers and cancer cell-lines. Although the function of NDRG2 is currently unknown, high NDRG2 expression correlates with improved prognosis in high-grade gliomas, gastric cancer and hepatocellular carcinomas. Furthermore, in vitro studies have revealed that over-expression of NDRG2 in cell-lines causes a significant reduction in their growth. The aim of this study was to examine levels of NDRG2 mRNA in several human cancers, with focus on breast cancer, by examining affected and normal tissue. Methods By labelling a human Cancer Profiling Array with a radioactive probe against NDRG2, we evaluated the level of NDRG2 mRNA in 154 paired normal and tumor samples encompassing 19 different human cancers. Furthermore, we used quantitative real-time RT-PCR to quantify the levels of NDRG2 and MYC mRNA in thyroid gland cancer and breast cancer, using a distinct set of normal and tumor samples. Results From the Cancer Profiling Array, we saw that the level of NDRG2 mRNA was reduced by at least 2-fold in almost a third of the tumor samples, compared to the normal counterpart, and we observed a marked decreased level in colon, cervix, thyroid gland and testis. However, a Benjamini-Hochberg correction showed that none of the tissues showed a significant reduction in NDRG2 mRNA expression in tumor tissue compared to normal tissue. Using quantitative RT-PCR, we observed a significant reduction in the level of NDRG2 mRNA in a distinct set of tumor samples from both thyroid gland cancer (p = 0.02 and breast cancer (p = 0.004, compared with normal tissue. MYC mRNA was not significantly altered in breast cancer or in thyroid gland cancer, compared with normal tissue. In thyroid gland, no correlation was found between MYC and NDRG2 mRNA levels, but in breast tissue we found a weakly significant correlation with a positive r-value in both normal and

  2. Expression profile of the N-myc Downstream Regulated Gene 2 (NDRG2) in human cancers with focus on breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lorentzen, Anders; Lewinsky, Rikke H; Bornholdt, Jette; Vogel, Lotte K; Mitchelmore, Cathy

    2011-01-01

    Several studies have shown that NDRG2 mRNA is down-regulated or undetectable in various human cancers and cancer cell-lines. Although the function of NDRG2 is currently unknown, high NDRG2 expression correlates with improved prognosis in high-grade gliomas, gastric cancer and hepatocellular carcinomas. Furthermore, in vitro studies have revealed that over-expression of NDRG2 in cell-lines causes a significant reduction in their growth. The aim of this study was to examine levels of NDRG2 mRNA in several human cancers, with focus on breast cancer, by examining affected and normal tissue. By labelling a human Cancer Profiling Array with a radioactive probe against NDRG2, we evaluated the level of NDRG2 mRNA in 154 paired normal and tumor samples encompassing 19 different human cancers. Furthermore, we used quantitative real-time RT-PCR to quantify the levels of NDRG2 and MYC mRNA in thyroid gland cancer and breast cancer, using a distinct set of normal and tumor samples. From the Cancer Profiling Array, we saw that the level of NDRG2 mRNA was reduced by at least 2-fold in almost a third of the tumor samples, compared to the normal counterpart, and we observed a marked decreased level in colon, cervix, thyroid gland and testis. However, a Benjamini-Hochberg correction showed that none of the tissues showed a significant reduction in NDRG2 mRNA expression in tumor tissue compared to normal tissue. Using quantitative RT-PCR, we observed a significant reduction in the level of NDRG2 mRNA in a distinct set of tumor samples from both thyroid gland cancer (p = 0.02) and breast cancer (p = 0.004), compared with normal tissue. MYC mRNA was not significantly altered in breast cancer or in thyroid gland cancer, compared with normal tissue. In thyroid gland, no correlation was found between MYC and NDRG2 mRNA levels, but in breast tissue we found a weakly significant correlation with a positive r-value in both normal and tumor tissues, suggesting that MYC and NDRG2 mRNA are

  3. Histologic correlation of in vivo optical coherence tomography images of the human retina

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chen, T.; Cense, B.; Miller, J.S.; Rubin, P. A. D.; Deschler, D. G.; Gragoudas, E. S.; de Boer, J.F.

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: To correlate in vivo human retina optical coherence tomography (OCT)3 images with histology. Design: Case series. Methods: Linear OCT3 scans through the macula and optic nerve were obtained in three eyes of three patients who then underwent exenteration surgery for orbital cancers. OCT3

  4. Urodele p53 tolerates amino acid changes found in p53 variants linked to human cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Villiard Éric

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Urodele amphibians like the axolotl are unique among vertebrates in their ability to regenerate and their resistance to develop cancers. It is unknown whether these traits are linked at the molecular level. Results Blocking p53 signaling in axolotls using the p53 inhibitor, pifithrin-α, inhibited limb regeneration and the expression of p53 target genes such as Mdm2 and Gadd45, suggesting a link between tumor suppression and regeneration. To understand this relationship we cloned the p53 gene from axolotl. When comparing its sequence with p53 from other organisms, and more specifically human we observed multiple amino acids changes found in human tumors. Phylogenetic analysis of p53 protein sequences from various species is in general agreement with standard vertebrate phylogeny; however, both mice-like rodents and teleost fishes are fast evolving. This leads to long branch attraction resulting in an artefactual basal emergence of these groups in the phylogenetic tree. It is tempting to assume a correlation between certain life style traits (e.g. lifespan and the evolutionary rate of the corresponding p53 sequences. Functional assays of the axolotl p53 in human or axolotl cells using p53 promoter reporters demonstrated a temperature sensitivity (ts, which was further confirmed by performing colony assays at 37°C. In addition, axolotl p53 was capable of efficient transactivation at the Hmd2 promoter but has moderate activity at the p21 promoter. Endogenous axolotl p53 was activated following UV irradiation (100 j/m2 or treatment with an alkylating agent as measured using serine 15 phosphorylation and the expression of the endogenous p53 target Gadd45. Conclusion Urodele p53 may play a role in regeneration and has evolved to contain multiple amino acid changes predicted to render the human protein defective in tumor suppression. Some of these mutations were probably selected to maintain p53 activity at low temperature. However

  5. Two-dimensional fluorescence lifetime correlation spectroscopy. 2. Application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishii, Kunihiko; Tahara, Tahei

    2013-10-03

    In the preceding article, we introduced the theoretical framework of two-dimensional fluorescence lifetime correlation spectroscopy (2D FLCS). In this article, we report the experimental implementation of 2D FLCS. In this method, two-dimensional emission-delay correlation maps are constructed from the photon data obtained with the time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC), and then they are converted to 2D lifetime correlation maps by the inverse Laplace transform. We develop a numerical method to realize reliable transformation, employing the maximum entropy method (MEM). We apply the developed actual 2D FLCS to two real systems, a dye mixture and a DNA hairpin. For the dye mixture, we show that 2D FLCS is experimentally feasible and that it can identify different species in an inhomogeneous sample without any prior knowledge. The application to the DNA hairpin demonstrates that 2D FLCS can disclose microsecond spontaneous dynamics of biological molecules in a visually comprehensible manner, through identifying species as unique lifetime distributions. A FRET pair is attached to the both ends of the DNA hairpin, and the different structures of the DNA hairpin are distinguished as different fluorescence lifetimes in 2D FLCS. By constructing the 2D correlation maps of the fluorescence lifetime of the FRET donor, the equilibrium dynamics between the open and the closed forms of the DNA hairpin is clearly observed as the appearance of the cross peaks between the corresponding fluorescence lifetimes. This equilibrium dynamics of the DNA hairpin is clearly separated from the acceptor-missing DNA that appears as an isolated diagonal peak in the 2D maps. The present study clearly shows that newly developed 2D FLCS can disclose spontaneous structural dynamics of biological molecules with microsecond time resolution.

  6. Synthesis and crystal structures of 5'-phenylspiro[indoline-3, 2'-pyrrolidin]-2-one derivatives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Perumal Subbu

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The spiro- indole-pyrrolidine ring system is a frequently encountered structural motif in many biologically important and pharmacologically relevant alkaloids. The derivatives of spirooxindole ring systems are used as antimicrobial, antitumour agents and as inhibitors of the human NKI receptor besides being found in a number of alkaloids like horsifiline, spirotryprostatin and (+ elacomine. The recently discovered small-molecule MDM2 inhibitor MI-219 and its analogues are in advanced preclinical development as cancer therapeutics. Results In the crystal structures of the two organic compounds, 4'-Nitro-3',5'-diphenylspiro[indoline-3,2'-pyrrolidin]-2-one and 3'-(4-Methoxyphenyl- 4'-nitro -5'-phenylspiro[indoline-3,2'-pyrrolidin]-2-one, N-H···O hydrogen bonds make the R22 (8 ring motif. Further, the structures are stabilized by intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Conclusion The crystal structures of 4'-Nitro-3',5'-diphenylspiro[indoline-3,2'-pyrrolidin]-2-one and 3'-(4-Methoxyphenyl- 4'-nitro -5'-phenylspiro[indoline-3,2'-pyrrolidin]-2-one have been investigated in detail. In both the compounds, the R22(8 motif is present. Due to the substitution of methoxyphenyl instead of phenyl ring, the entire configuration is inverted with respect to the 2-oxyindole ring.

  7. Leptin levels are negatively correlated with 2-arachidonoylglycerol in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with osteoarthritis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Nicholson

    Full Text Available There is compelling evidence in humans that peripheral endocannabinoid signaling is disrupted in obesity. However, little is known about the corresponding central signaling. Here, we have investigated the relationship between gender, leptin, body mass index (BMI and levels of the endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF of primarily overweight to obese patients with osteoarthritis.Patients (20 females, 15 males, age range 44-78 years, BMI range 24-42 undergoing total knee arthroplasty for end-stage osteoarthritis were recruited for the study. Endocannabinoids were quantified by liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry. AEA and 2-AG levels in the serum and CSF did not correlate with either age or BMI. However, 2-AG levels in the CSF, but not serum, correlated negatively with CSF leptin levels (Spearman's ρ -0.48, P=0.0076, n=30. No such correlations were observed for AEA and leptin.In the patient sample investigated, there is a negative association between 2-AG and leptin levels in the CSF. This is consistent with pre-clinical studies in animals, demonstrating that leptin controls the levels of hypothalamic endocannabinoids that regulate feeding behavior.

  8. Leptin levels are negatively correlated with 2-arachidonoylglycerol in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with osteoarthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicholson, James; Azim, Syed; Rebecchi, Mario J; Galbavy, William; Feng, Tian; Reinsel, Ruth; Rizwan, Sabeen; Fowler, Christopher J; Benveniste, Helene; Kaczocha, Martin

    2015-01-01

    There is compelling evidence in humans that peripheral endocannabinoid signaling is disrupted in obesity. However, little is known about the corresponding central signaling. Here, we have investigated the relationship between gender, leptin, body mass index (BMI) and levels of the endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of primarily overweight to obese patients with osteoarthritis. Patients (20 females, 15 males, age range 44-78 years, BMI range 24-42) undergoing total knee arthroplasty for end-stage osteoarthritis were recruited for the study. Endocannabinoids were quantified by liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry. AEA and 2-AG levels in the serum and CSF did not correlate with either age or BMI. However, 2-AG levels in the CSF, but not serum, correlated negatively with CSF leptin levels (Spearman's ρ -0.48, P=0.0076, n=30). No such correlations were observed for AEA and leptin. In the patient sample investigated, there is a negative association between 2-AG and leptin levels in the CSF. This is consistent with pre-clinical studies in animals, demonstrating that leptin controls the levels of hypothalamic endocannabinoids that regulate feeding behavior.

  9. Correlating the Metabolic Stability of Psychedelic 5-HT2A Agonists with Anecdotal Reports of Human Oral Bioavailability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leth-Petersen, Sebastian; Bundgaard, Christoffer; Hansen, Martin

    2014-01-01

    2,5-Dimethoxyphenethylamines and their N-benzylated derivatives are potent 5-HT2A agonists with psychedelic effects in humans. The N-benzylated derivatives are among the most selective 5-HT2A agonists currently available and their usage as biochemical and brain imaging tools is increasing, yet ve...

  10. Studying p53 family proteins in yeast: Induction of autophagic cell death and modulation by interactors and small molecules

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leão, Mariana; Gomes, Sara; Bessa, Cláudia; Soares, Joana; Raimundo, Liliana [REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n. 164, 4050-313 Porto (Portugal); Monti, Paola; Fronza, Gilberto [Mutagenesis Unit, Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino-IST-Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, 16132 Genoa (Italy); Pereira, Clara [REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n. 164, 4050-313 Porto (Portugal); Saraiva, Lucília, E-mail: lucilia.saraiva@ff.up.pt [REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n. 164, 4050-313 Porto (Portugal)

    2015-01-01

    In this work, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used to individually study human p53, p63 (full length and truncated forms) and p73. Using this cell system, the effect of these proteins on cell proliferation and death, and the influence of MDM2 and MDMX on their activities were analyzed. When expressed in yeast, wild-type p53, TAp63, ΔNp63 and TAp73 induced growth inhibition associated with S-phase cell cycle arrest. This growth inhibition was accompanied by reactive oxygen species production and autophagic cell death. Furthermore, they stimulated rapamycin-induced autophagy. On the contrary, none of the tested p53 family members induced apoptosis either per se or after apoptotic stimuli. As previously reported for p53, also TAp63, ΔNp63 and TAp73 increased actin expression levels and its depolarization, suggesting that ACT1 is also a p63 and p73 putative yeast target gene. Additionally, MDM2 and MDMX inhibited the activity of all tested p53 family members in yeast, although the effect was weaker on TAp63. Moreover, Nutlin-3a and SJ-172550 were identified as potential inhibitors of the p73 interaction with MDM2 and MDMX, respectively. Altogether, the yeast-based assays herein developed can be envisaged as a simplified cell system to study the involvement of p53 family members in autophagy, the modulation of their activities by specific interactors (MDM2 and MDMX), and the potential of new small molecules to modulate these interactions. - Highlights: • p53, p63 and p73 are individually studied in the yeast S. cerevisiae. • p53 family members induce ROS production, cell cycle arrest and autophagy in yeast. • p53 family members increase actin depolarization and expression levels in yeast. • MDM2 and MDMX inhibit the activity of p53 family members in yeast. • Yeast can be a useful tool to study the biology and drugability of p53, p63 and p73.

  11. Studying p53 family proteins in yeast: Induction of autophagic cell death and modulation by interactors and small molecules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leão, Mariana; Gomes, Sara; Bessa, Cláudia; Soares, Joana; Raimundo, Liliana; Monti, Paola; Fronza, Gilberto; Pereira, Clara; Saraiva, Lucília

    2015-01-01

    In this work, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used to individually study human p53, p63 (full length and truncated forms) and p73. Using this cell system, the effect of these proteins on cell proliferation and death, and the influence of MDM2 and MDMX on their activities were analyzed. When expressed in yeast, wild-type p53, TAp63, ΔNp63 and TAp73 induced growth inhibition associated with S-phase cell cycle arrest. This growth inhibition was accompanied by reactive oxygen species production and autophagic cell death. Furthermore, they stimulated rapamycin-induced autophagy. On the contrary, none of the tested p53 family members induced apoptosis either per se or after apoptotic stimuli. As previously reported for p53, also TAp63, ΔNp63 and TAp73 increased actin expression levels and its depolarization, suggesting that ACT1 is also a p63 and p73 putative yeast target gene. Additionally, MDM2 and MDMX inhibited the activity of all tested p53 family members in yeast, although the effect was weaker on TAp63. Moreover, Nutlin-3a and SJ-172550 were identified as potential inhibitors of the p73 interaction with MDM2 and MDMX, respectively. Altogether, the yeast-based assays herein developed can be envisaged as a simplified cell system to study the involvement of p53 family members in autophagy, the modulation of their activities by specific interactors (MDM2 and MDMX), and the potential of new small molecules to modulate these interactions. - Highlights: • p53, p63 and p73 are individually studied in the yeast S. cerevisiae. • p53 family members induce ROS production, cell cycle arrest and autophagy in yeast. • p53 family members increase actin depolarization and expression levels in yeast. • MDM2 and MDMX inhibit the activity of p53 family members in yeast. • Yeast can be a useful tool to study the biology and drugability of p53, p63 and p73

  12. Broadening of coreceptor usage by human immunodeficiency virus type 2 does not correlate with increased pathogenicity in an in vivo model.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M.E. van der Ende (Marchina); C. Guillon (Christophe); P.H.M. Boers (Patrick); R.A. Gruters (Rob); P. Racz; K. Tenner-Racz; A.D.M.E. Osterhaus (Albert); M. Schutten (Martin)

    2000-01-01

    textabstractThe pathogenic properties of four primary human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) isolates and two primary HIV-2 biological clones were studied in an in vivo human-to-mouse chimeric model. The cell-associated viral load and the ability to reduce the severity of the induced

  13. Using a preclinical mouse model of high-grade astrocytoma to optimize p53 restoration therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shchors, Ksenya; Persson, Anders I; Rostker, Fanya; Tihan, Tarik; Lyubynska, Natalya; Li, Nan; Swigart, Lamorna Brown; Berger, Mitchel S; Hanahan, Douglas; Weiss, William A; Evan, Gerard I

    2013-04-16

    Based on clinical presentation, glioblastoma (GBM) is stratified into primary and secondary types. The protein 53 (p53) pathway is functionally incapacitated in most GBMs by distinctive type-specific mechanisms. To model human gliomagenesis, we used a GFAP-HRas(V12) mouse model crossed into the p53ER(TAM) background, such that either one or both copies of endogenous p53 is replaced by a conditional p53ER(TAM) allele. The p53ER(TAM) protein can be toggled reversibly in vivo between wild-type and inactive conformations by administration or withdrawal of 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT), respectively. Surprisingly, gliomas that develop in GFAP-HRas(V12);p53(+/KI) mice abrogate the p53 pathway by mutating p19(ARF)/MDM2 while retaining wild-type p53 allele. Consequently, such tumors are unaffected by restoration of their p53ER(TAM) allele. By contrast, gliomas arising in GFAP-HRas(V12);p53(KI/KI) mice develop in the absence of functional p53. Such tumors retain a functional p19(ARF)/MDM2-signaling pathway, and restoration of p53ER(TAM) allele triggers p53-tumor-suppressor activity. Congruently, growth inhibition upon normalization of mutant p53 by a small molecule, Prima-1, in human GBM cultures also requires p14(ARF)/MDM2 functionality. Notably, the antitumoral efficacy of p53 restoration in tumor-bearing GFAP-HRas(V12);p53(KI/KI) animals depends on the duration and frequency of p53 restoration. Thus, intermittent exposure to p53ER(TAM) activity mitigated the selective pressure to inactivate the p19(ARF)/MDM2/p53 pathway as a means of resistance, extending progression-free survival. Our results suggest that intermittent dosing regimes of drugs that restore wild-type tumor-suppressor function onto mutant, inactive p53 proteins will prove to be more efficacious than traditional chronic dosing by similarly reducing adaptive resistance.

  14. Convenience versus Biological Significance: Are PMA-Differentiated THP-1 Cells a Reliable Substitute for Blood-Derived Macrophages When Studying in Vitro Polarization?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tedesco, Serena; De Majo, Federica; Kim, Jieun; Trenti, Annalisa; Trevisi, Lucia; Fadini, Gian Paolo; Bolego, Chiara; Zandstra, Peter W; Cignarella, Andrea; Vitiello, Libero

    2018-01-01

    Human peripheral-blood monocytes are used as an established in vitro system for generating macrophages. For several reasons, monocytic cell lines such as THP-1 have been considered as a possible alternative. In view of their distinct developmental origins and phenotypic attributes, we set out to assess the extent to which human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-differentiated THP-1 cells were overlapping across a variety of responses to activating stimuli. Resting (M0) macrophages were polarized toward M1 or M2 phenotypes by 48-h incubation with LPS (1 μg/ml) and IFN-γ (10 ng/ml) or with IL-4 (20 ng/ml) and IL-13 (5 ng/ml), respectively. At the end of stimulation, MDMs displayed more pronounced changes in marker gene expression than THP-1. Upon assaying an array of 41 cytokines, chemokines and growth factors in conditioned media (CM) using the Luminex technology, secretion of 29 out of the 41 proteins was affected by polarized activation. While in 12 of them THP-1 and MDM showed comparable trends, for the remaining 17 proteins their responses to activating stimuli did markedly differ. Quantitative comparison for selected analytes confirmed this pattern. In terms of phenotypic activation markers, measured by flow cytometry, M1 response was similar but the established MDM M2 marker CD163 was undetectable in THP-1 cells. In a beads-based assay, MDM activation did not induce significant changes, whereas M2 activation of THP-1 decreased phagocytic activity compared to M0 and M1. In further biological activity tests, both MDM and THP-1 CM failed to affect proliferation of mouse myogenic progenitors, whereas they both reduced adipogenic differentiation of mouse fibro-adipogenic progenitor cells (M2 to a lesser extent than M1 and M0). Finally, migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells was enhanced by CM irrespective of cell type and activation state except for M0 CM from MDMs. In summary, PMA-differentiated THP-1

  15. Correlation analyses revealed global microRNA-mRNA expression associations in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lan; Zhu, Jiang; Deng, Fei-Yan; Wu, Long-Fei; Mo, Xing-Bo; Zhu, Xiao-Wei; Xia, Wei; Xie, Fang-Fei; He, Pei; Bing, Peng-Fei; Qiu, Ying-Hua; Lin, Xiang; Lu, Xin; Zhang, Lei; Yi, Neng-Jun; Zhang, Yong-Hong; Lei, Shu-Feng

    2018-02-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can regulate gene expression through binding to complementary sites in the 3'-untranslated regions of target mRNAs, which will lead to existence of correlation in expression between miRNA and mRNA. However, the miRNA-mRNA correlation patterns are complex and remain largely unclear yet. To establish the global correlation patterns in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), multiple miRNA-mRNA correlation analyses and expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis were conducted in this study. We predicted and achieved 861 miRNA-mRNA pairs (65 miRNAs, 412 mRNAs) using multiple bioinformatics programs, and found global negative miRNA-mRNA correlations in PBMC from all 46 study subjects. Among the 861 pairs of correlations, 19.5% were significant (P correlation network was complex and highlighted key miRNAs/genes in PBMC. Some miRNAs, such as hsa-miR-29a, hsa-miR-148a, regulate a cluster of target genes. Some genes, e.g., TNRC6A, are regulated by multiple miRNAs. The identified genes tend to be enriched in molecular functions of DNA and RNA binding, and biological processes such as protein transport, regulation of translation and chromatin modification. The results provided a global view of the miRNA-mRNA expression correlation profile in human PBMCs, which would facilitate in-depth investigation of biological functions of key miRNAs/mRNAs and better understanding of the pathogenesis underlying PBMC-related diseases.

  16. An Improved CO2-Crude Oil Minimum Miscibility Pressure Correlation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hao Zhang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Minimum miscibility pressure (MMP, which plays an important role in miscible flooding, is a key parameter in determining whether crude oil and gas are completely miscible. On the basis of 210 groups of CO2-crude oil system minimum miscibility pressure data, an improved CO2-crude oil system minimum miscibility pressure correlation was built by modified conjugate gradient method and global optimizing method. The new correlation is a uniform empirical correlation to calculate the MMP for both thin oil and heavy oil and is expressed as a function of reservoir temperature, C7+ molecular weight of crude oil, and mole fractions of volatile components (CH4 and N2 and intermediate components (CO2, H2S, and C2~C6 of crude oil. Compared to the eleven most popular and relatively high-accuracy CO2-oil system MMP correlations in the previous literature by other nine groups of CO2-oil MMP experimental data, which have not been used to develop the new correlation, it is found that the new empirical correlation provides the best reproduction of the nine groups of CO2-oil MMP experimental data with a percentage average absolute relative error (%AARE of 8% and a percentage maximum absolute relative error (%MARE of 21%, respectively.

  17. Exploratory Metabolomic Analyses Reveal Compounds Correlated with Lutein Concentration in Frontal Cortex, Hippocampus, and Occipital Cortex of Human Infant Brain.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacqueline C Lieblein-Boff

    Full Text Available Lutein is a dietary carotenoid well known for its role as an antioxidant in the macula, and recent reports implicate a role for lutein in cognitive function. Lutein is the dominant carotenoid in both pediatric and geriatric brain tissue. In addition, cognitive function in older adults correlated with macular and postmortem brain lutein concentrations. Furthermore, lutein was found to preferentially accumulate in the infant brain in comparison to other carotenoids that are predominant in diet. While lutein is consistently related to cognitive function, the mechanisms by which lutein may influence cognition are not clear. In an effort to identify potential mechanisms through which lutein might influence neurodevelopment, an exploratory study relating metabolite signatures and lutein was completed. Post-mortem metabolomic analyses were performed on human infant brain tissues in three regions important for learning and memory: the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and occipital cortex. Metabolomic profiles were compared to lutein concentration, and correlations were identified and reported here. A total of 1276 correlations were carried out across all brain regions. Of 427 metabolites analyzed, 257 were metabolites of known identity. Unidentified metabolite correlations (510 were excluded. In addition, moderate correlations with xenobiotic relationships (2 or those driven by single outliers (3 were excluded from further study. Lutein concentrations correlated with lipid pathway metabolites, energy pathway metabolites, brain osmolytes, amino acid neurotransmitters, and the antioxidant homocarnosine. These correlations were often brain region-specific. Revealing relationships between lutein and metabolic pathways may help identify potential candidates on which to complete further analyses and may shed light on important roles of lutein in the human brain during development.

  18. ZNF307, a novel zinc finger gene suppresses p53 and p21 pathway

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Jing; Wang Yuequn; Fan Xiongwei; Mo Xiaoyang; Wang Zequn; Li Yongqing; Yin Zhaochu; Deng Yun; Luo Na; Zhu Chuanbing; Liu Mingyao; Ma Qian; Ocorr, Karen; Yuan Wuzhou; Wu Xiushan

    2007-01-01

    We have cloned a novel KRAB-related zinc finger gene, ZNF307, encoding a protein of 545 aa. ZNF307 is conserved across species in evolution and is differentially expressed in human adult and fetal tissues. The fusion protein of EGFP-ZNF307 localizes in the nucleus. Transcriptional activity assays show ZNF307 suppresses transcriptional activity of L8G5-luciferase. Overexpressing ZNF307 in different cell lines also inhibits the transcriptional activities of p53 and p21. Moreover, ZNF307 works by reducing the p53 protein level and p53 protein reduction is achieved by increasing transcription of MDM2 and EP300. ZNF307 might suppress p53-p21 pathway through activating MDM2 and EP300 expression and inducing p53 degradation

  19. First principle approach to correlation functions of spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain: fourth-neighbor correlators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boos, H.E.; Shiroishi, M.; Takahashi, M.

    2005-01-01

    We show how correlation functions of the spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain without magnetic field in the anti-ferromagnetic ground state can be explicitly calculated using information contained in the quantum Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equation [qKZ]. We find several fundamental relations which the inhomogeneous correlations should fulfill. On the other hand, it turns out that these relations can fix the form of the correlations uniquely. Actually, applying this idea, we have obtained all the correlation functions on five sites. Particularly by taking the homogeneous limit, we have got the analytic form of the fourth-neighbor pair correlator j z S j+4 z >

  20. Correlation between plasma angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 in coronary heart disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Haoyu; Shou, Xiling; Liang, Lei; Wang, Congxia; Yao, Xiaowei; Cheng, Gong

    2016-12-01

    Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) plays a critical role in inducing tumor cell infiltration, and this invasive phenotype is caused by up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2. The relationship between Ang-2 and MMP-2 in atherosclerosis has not been reported yet. The aim is to measure the plasma concentrations of Ang-1, Ang-2 and MMP-2 and assess the correlation between the concentrations of these factors in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. The testing was done in a cross-sectional study. We prospectively enrolled 42 individuals with acute myocardial infarction, 42 individuals with unstable angina pectoris, 42 individuals with stable angina pectoris and 45 healthy control subjects. Concentrations of Ang-1, Ang-2 and MMP-2 were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Spearman's rank correlation was calculated to evaluate the relationships between MMP-2 and Ang-1, and MMP-2 and Ang-2 in patients with CHD. Patients with acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina pectoris had higher Ang-2 and MMP-2 levels compared with stable angina patients and healthy control subjects ( p correlation showed that Ang-2 levels positively correlated with MMP-2 in patients with CHD ( r = 0.679, p correlated weakly with MMP-2, whereas the Ang-2 and MMP-2 correlation was strong in patients with CHD. Ang-2 may play a role in atherosclerosis, and have an interaction with MMP-2.

  1. Gene-specific correlation of RNA and protein levels in human cells and tissues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Edfors, Fredrik; Danielsson, Frida; Hallström, Björn M.

    2016-01-01

    An important issue for molecular biology is to establish whether transcript levels of a given gene can be used as proxies for the corresponding protein levels. Here, we have developed a targeted proteomics approach for a set of human non-secreted proteins based on parallel reaction monitoring...... to measure, at steady-state conditions, absolute protein copy numbers across human tissues and cell lines and compared these levels with the corresponding mRNA levels using transcriptomics. The study shows that the transcript and protein levels do not correlate well unless a gene-specific RNA-to-protein (RTP...

  2. Correlation of contrast-detail analysis and clinical image quality assessment in chest radiography with a human cadaver study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Crop, An; Bacher, Klaus; Van Hoof, Tom; Smeets, Peter V; Smet, Barbara S; Vergauwen, Merel; Kiendys, Urszula; Duyck, Philippe; Verstraete, Koenraad; D'Herde, Katharina; Thierens, Hubert

    2012-01-01

    To determine the correlation between the clinical and physical image quality of chest images by using cadavers embalmed with the Thiel technique and a contrast-detail phantom. The use of human cadavers fulfilled the requirements of the institutional ethics committee. Clinical image quality was assessed by using three human cadavers embalmed with the Thiel technique, which results in excellent preservation of the flexibility and plasticity of organs and tissues. As a result, lungs can be inflated during image acquisition to simulate the pulmonary anatomy seen on a chest radiograph. Both contrast-detail phantom images and chest images of the Thiel-embalmed bodies were acquired with an amorphous silicon flat-panel detector. Tube voltage (70, 81, 90, 100, 113, 125 kVp), copper filtration (0.1, 0.2, 0.3 mm Cu), and exposure settings (200, 280, 400, 560, 800 speed class) were altered to simulate different quality levels. Four experienced radiologists assessed the image quality by using a visual grading analysis (VGA) technique based on European Quality Criteria for Chest Radiology. The phantom images were scored manually and automatically with use of dedicated software, both resulting in an inverse image quality figure (IQF). Spearman rank correlations between inverse IQFs and VGA scores were calculated. A statistically significant correlation (r = 0.80, P chest radiography. © RSNA, 2011.

  3. Investigation of spatial correlation in MR images of human cerebral white matter using geostatistical methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keil, Fabian

    2014-01-01

    Investigating the structure of human cerebral white matter is gaining interest in the neurological as well as in the neuroscientific community. It has been demonstrated in many studies that white matter is a very dynamic structure, rather than a static construct which does not change for a lifetime. That means, structural changes within white matter can be observed even on short timescales, e.g. in the course of normal ageing, neurodegenerative diseases or even during learning processes. To investigate these changes, one method of choice is the texture analysis of images obtained from white matter. In this regard, MRI plays a distinguished role as it provides a completely non-invasive way of acquiring in vivo images of human white matter. This thesis adapted a statistical texture analysis method, known as variography, to quantify the spatial correlation of human cerebral white matter based on MR images. This method, originally introduced in geoscience, relies on the idea of spatial correlation in geological phenomena: in naturally grown structures near things are correlated stronger to each other than distant things. This work reveals that the geological principle of spatial correlation can be applied to MR images of human cerebral white matter and proves that variography is an adequate method to quantify alterations therein. Since the process of MRI data acquisition is completely different to the measuring process used to quantify geological phenomena, the variographic analysis had to be adapted carefully to MR methods in order to provide a correctly working methodology. Therefore, theoretical considerations were evaluated with numerical samples in a first, and validated with real measurements in a second step. It was shown that MR variography facilitates to reduce the information stored in the texture of a white matter image to a few highly significant parameters, thereby quantifying heterogeneity and spatial correlation distance with an accuracy better than 5

  4. Tumour and lymph node uptakes on dual-phased 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography correlate with prognostic parameters in breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Chin-Chuan; Tu, Hung-Pin; Chen, Yu-Wen; Lin, Chia-Yang; Hou, Ming-Feng

    2014-12-01

    To examine correlations between the uptake of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) by primary tumours and axillary lymph nodes, and clinical and biological tumour prognostic parameters, in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer. Newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who had received a dual-phased FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan for pretreatment staging were enrolled retrospectively. Maximal standardized uptake values at 1 h (SUV1), 2 h (SUV2), and retention indices (RI) of the tumours and ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes were measured. SUV and RI were compared with clinical and biological prognostic parameters. A total of 32 patients participated in the study. Tumour FDG uptake correlated with histological grade and tumour size. FDG uptake in axillary lymph nodes correlated positively with lymph node status, metastasis status and clinical stage. RI values for the tumour and lymph nodes were significantly positively correlated with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positivity. FDG uptake in tumours and lymph nodes showed correlations with some clinical and biological parameters, and may serve as a predictive marker of tumour biological behaviour in breast cancer. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  5. Foundations for a time reliability correlation system to quantify human reliability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dougherty, E.M. Jr.; Fragola, J.R.

    1988-01-01

    Time reliability correlations (TRCs) have been used in human reliability analysis (HRA) in conjunction with probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) to quantify post-initiator human failure events. The first TRCs were judgmental but recent data taken from simulators have provided evidence for development of a system of TRCs. This system has the equational form: t = tau R X tau U , where the first factor is the lognormally distributed random variable of successful response time, derived from the simulator data, and the second factor is a unitary lognormal random variable to account for uncertainty in the model. The first random variable is further factored into a median response time and a factor to account for the dominant type of behavior assumed to be involved in the response and a second factor to account for other influences on the reliability of the response

  6. Circadian transitions in radiation dose-dependent augmentation of mRNA levels for DNA damage-induced genes elicited by accurate real-time RT-PCR quantification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishihara, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Izumi; Yakumaru, Haruko

    2010-01-01

    Molecular mechanisms of intracellular response after DNA-damage by exposure to ionizing radiation have been studied. In the case of cells isolated from living body of human and experimental animals, alteration of the responsiveness by physiological oscillation such as circadian rhythm must be considered. To examine the circadian variation in the response of p53-responsible genes p21, mdm2, bax, and puma, we established a method to quantitate their mRNA levels with high reproducibility and accuracy based on real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and compared the levels of responsiveness in mouse hemocytes after diurnal irradiation to that after nocturnal irradiation. Augmentations of p21 and mdm2 mRNA levels with growth-arrest and of puma mRNA before apoptosis were confirmed by time-course experiment in RAW264.7, and dose-dependent increases in the peak levels of all the RNA were shown. Similarly, the relative RNA levels of p21, mdm2, bax, and puma per glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) also increased dose-dependently in peripheral blood and bone marrow cells isolated from whole-body-irradiated mice. Induction levels of all messages reduced by half after nighttime irradiation as compared with daytime irradiation in blood cells. In marrow cells, nighttime irradiation enhanced the p21 and mdm2 mRNA levels than daytime irradiation. No significant difference in bax or puma mRNA levels was observed between nighttime and daytime irradiation in marrow cells. This suggests that early-stage cellular responsiveness in DNA damage-induced genes is modulated between diurnal and nocturnal irradiation. (author)

  7. Breast Cancer Mortality In Brazil: Correlation With Human Development Index

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mara Rejane Barroso Barcelos

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Mortality from breast cancer decreased in high-income countries, while countries with middle and low incomes as Brazil still has upward trend. However, large geographical variations among the federal units are observed in the country. The aim of the study was to evaluate the trend of specific mortality from breast cancer in women over 20 years old years among different states of Brazil from 1996 to 2012.  Methods and Findings: Ecological study, using linear regression model for temporal analysis of specific mortality coefficient from malignant neoplasm of breast. We also checked the degree of its correlation with the HDI for the states of Brazil during the stated period. There was an increase in the specific mortality rate for malignant neoplasm of the breast in order of 33%, with range from 23.2 to 30.8 / 100,000 inhabitants. The states with the highest human development HDI in 2010, showed the largest specific mortality rates of breast cancer. Conclusion: Taking the trends of mortality from cancer an important role, this study confirms the need for improvements in mammography coverage, following radiological lesions suspected and access to appropriate therapy.

  8. The Correlation of Metacognition with Critical Thinking Skills of Grade XI Students on Human Excretion System Concept

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dea Diella

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The aims of this study is to reveal metacognition and critical thinking skill of students grade XI, and also the correlation between metacognition with crititical thinking skill on human excretion system. The participants of this study consist of 100 students from grade XI of five different high schools in Tasikmalaya. Correlational method was used in this study. Instruments which used to obtain the data consist of metacognition test and critical thinking test. The students' metacognition was captured with the essay item related to the human excretion system concept. The multiple choice-reason item and essay item was used to capture the critical thinking skills. The results showed that students’ score at metacognition and critical thinking have a low average. The results also proved that metacognition has a positive correlation and moderately strong with critical thinking skills

  9. Expression analysis of genes associated with human osteosarcoma tumors shows correlation of RUNX2 overexpression with poor response to chemotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadikovic, Bekim; Thorner, Paul; Chilton-MacNeill, Susan; Martin, Jeff W; Cervigne, Nilva K; Squire, Jeremy; Zielenska, Maria

    2010-01-01

    Human osteosarcoma is the most common pediatric bone tumor. There is limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying osteosarcoma oncogenesis, and a lack of good diagnostic as well as prognostic clinical markers for this disease. Recent discoveries have highlighted a potential role of a number of genes including: RECQL4, DOCK5, SPP1, RUNX2, RB1, CDKN1A, P53, IBSP, LSAMP, MYC, TNFRSF1B, BMP2, HISTH2BE, FOS, CCNB1, and CDC5L. Our objective was to assess relative expression levels of these 16 genes as potential biomarkers of osteosarcoma oncogenesis and chemotherapy response in human tumors. We performed quantitative expression analysis in a panel of 22 human osteosarcoma tumors with differential response to chemotherapy, and 5 normal human osteoblasts. RECQL4, SPP1, RUNX2, and IBSP were significantly overexpressed, and DOCK5, CDKN1A, RB1, P53, and LSAMP showed significant loss of expression relative to normal osteoblasts. In addition to being overexpressed in osteosarcoma tumor samples relative to normal osteoblasts, RUNX2 was the only gene of the 16 to show significant overexpression in tumors that had a poor response to chemotherapy relative to good responders. These data underscore the loss of tumor suppressive pathways and activation of specific oncogenic mechanisms associated with osteosarcoma oncogenesis, while drawing attention to the role of RUNX2 expression as a potential biomarker of chemotherapy failure in osteosarcoma

  10. Nutlin-3 down-regulates retinoblastoma protein expression and inhibits muscle cell differentiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walsh, Erica M. [Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118 (United States); Niu, MengMeng; Bergholz, Johann [Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610014 China (China); Jim Xiao, Zhi-Xiong, E-mail: jxiao@bu.edu [Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118 (United States); Center of Growth, Metabolism and Aging, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610014 China (China)

    2015-05-29

    The p53 tumor suppressor gene plays a critical role in regulation of proliferation, cell death and differentiation. The MDM2 oncoprotein is a major negative regulator for p53 by binding to and targeting p53 for proteasome-mediated degradation. The small molecule inhibitor, nutlin-3, disrupts MDM2-p53 interaction resulting in stabilization and activation of p53 protein. We have previously shown that nutlin-3 activates p53, leading to MDM2 accumulation as concomitant of reduced retinoblastoma (Rb) protein stability. It is well known that Rb is important in muscle development and myoblast differentiation and that rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), or cancer of the skeletal muscle, typically harbors MDM2 amplification. In this study, we show that nutlin-3 inhibited myoblast proliferation and effectively prevented myoblast differentiation, as evidenced by lack of expression of muscle differentiation markers including myogenin and myosin heavy chain (MyHC), as well as a failure to form multinucleated myotubes, which were associated with dramatic increases in MDM2 expression and decrease in Rb protein levels. These results indicate that nutlin-3 can effectively inhibit muscle cell differentiation. - Highlights: • Nutlin-3 inhibits myoblast proliferation and prevents differentiation into myotubes. • Nutlin-3 increases MDM2 expression and down-regulates Rb protein levels. • This study has implication in nutlin-3 treatment of rhabdomyosarcomas.

  11. Molecular effects of 1-naphthyl-methylcarbamate and solar radiation exposures on human melanocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrucio, Bianca; Tiago, Manoela; Fannin, Richard D; Liu, Liwen; Gerrish, Kevin; Maria-Engler, Silvya Stuchi; Paules, Richard S; Barros, Silvia Berlanga de Moraes

    2017-02-01

    Carbaryl (1-naphthyl-methylcarbamate), a broad-spectrum insecticide, has recently been associated with the development of cutaneous melanoma in an epidemiological cohort study with U.S. farm workers also exposed to ultraviolet radiation, the main etiologic factor for skin carcinogenesis. We hypothesized that carbaryl exposure may increase deleterious effects of UV solar radiation on skin melanocytes. This study aimed to characterize human melanocytes after individual or combined exposure to carbaryl (100μM) and solar radiation (375mJ/cm 2 ). In a microarray analysis, carbaryl, but not solar radiation, induced an oxidative stress response, evidenced by the upregulation of antioxidant genes, such as Hemeoxygenase-1 (HMOX1), and downregulation of Microphtalmia-associated Transcription Factor (MITF), the main regulator of melanocytic activity; results were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Carbaryl and solar radiation induced a gene response suggestive of DNA damage and cell cycle alteration. The expression of CDKN1A, BRCA1/2 and MDM2 genes was notably more intense in the combined treatment group, in a synergistic manner. Flow cytometry assays demonstrated S-phase cell cycle arrest, reduced apoptosis levels and faster induction of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) lesions in carbaryl treated groups. Our data suggests that carbaryl is genotoxic to human melanocytes, especially when associated with solar radiation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Identification of nine genomic regions of amplification in urothelial carcinoma, correlation with stage, and potential prognostic and therapeutic value.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yvonne Chekaluk

    Full Text Available We performed a genome wide analysis of 164 urothelial carcinoma samples and 27 bladder cancer cell lines to identify copy number changes associated with disease characteristics, and examined the association of amplification events with stage and grade of disease. Multiplex inversion probe (MIP analysis, a recently developed genomic technique, was used to study 80 urothelial carcinomas to identify mutations and copy number changes. Selected amplification events were then analyzed in a validation cohort of 84 bladder cancers by multiplex ligation-dependent probe assay (MLPA. In the MIP analysis, 44 regions of significant copy number change were identified using GISTIC. Nine gene-containing regions of amplification were selected for validation in the second cohort by MLPA. Amplification events at these 9 genomic regions were found to correlate strongly with stage, being seen in only 2 of 23 (9% Ta grade 1 or 1-2 cancers, in contrast to 31 of 61 (51% Ta grade 3 and T2 grade 2 cancers, p<0.001. These observations suggest that analysis of genomic amplification of these 9 regions might help distinguish non-invasive from invasive urothelial carcinoma, although further study is required. Both MIP and MLPA methods perform well on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded DNA, enhancing their potential clinical use. Furthermore several of the amplified genes identified here (ERBB2, MDM2, CCND1 are potential therapeutic targets.

  13. Novel mouse model recapitulates genome and transcriptome alterations in human colorectal carcinomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNeil, Nicole E; Padilla-Nash, Hesed M; Buishand, Floryne O; Hue, Yue; Ried, Thomas

    2017-03-01

    Human colorectal carcinomas are defined by a nonrandom distribution of genomic imbalances that are characteristic for this disease. Often, these imbalances affect entire chromosomes. Understanding the role of these aneuploidies for carcinogenesis is of utmost importance. Currently, established transgenic mice do not recapitulate the pathognonomic genome aberration profile of human colorectal carcinomas. We have developed a novel model based on the spontaneous transformation of murine colon epithelial cells. During this process, cells progress through stages of pre-immortalization, immortalization and, finally, transformation, and result in tumors when injected into immunocompromised mice. We analyzed our model for genome and transcriptome alterations using ArrayCGH, spectral karyotyping (SKY), and array based gene expression profiling. ArrayCGH revealed a recurrent pattern of genomic imbalances. These results were confirmed by SKY. Comparing these imbalances with orthologous maps of human chromosomes revealed a remarkable overlap. We observed focal deletions of the tumor suppressor genes Trp53 and Cdkn2a/p16. High-level focal genomic amplification included the locus harboring the oncogene Mdm2, which was confirmed by FISH in the form of double minute chromosomes. Array-based global gene expression revealed distinct differences between the sequential steps of spontaneous transformation. Gene expression changes showed significant similarities with human colorectal carcinomas. Pathways most prominently affected included genes involved in chromosomal instability and in epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Our novel mouse model therefore recapitulates the most prominent genome and transcriptome alterations in human colorectal cancer, and might serve as a valuable tool for understanding the dynamic process of tumorigenesis, and for preclinical drug testing. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Myocardial pre-synaptic sympathetic function correlates with glucose uptake in the failing human heart

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mongillo, Marco; Leccisotti, Lucia; John, Anna S.; Pennell, Dudley J.; Camici, Paolo G.

    2007-01-01

    We have previously shown that the myocardium of patients with heart failure (HF) is insulin resistant. Chronic β-adrenergic stimulation has been implicated in insulin resistance in cultured cardiomyocytes in vitro, where sustained noradrenaline stimulation inhibited insulin-modulated glucose uptake. As the failing heart is characterized by increased sympathetic drive, we hypothesized that there is a correlation between pre-synaptic sympathetic function and insulin sensitivity in the myocardium of patients with HF. Eight patients (aged 67 ± 7 years) with coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction 44 ± 10%) underwent function and viability assessment with cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Myocardial glucose utilization (MGU) was measured using positron emission tomography (PET) with 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Pre-synaptic noradrenaline re-uptake was measured by calculating [ 11 C]meta-hydroxy-ephedrine (HED) volume of distribution (V d ) with PET. Two groups of healthy volunteers served as controls for the FDG (n = 8, aged 52 ± 4 years, p -1 .g -1 ) and dysfunctional (0.49 ± 0.14 μmol.min -1 .g -1 ) segments compared with controls (0.61 ± 0.7 μmol.min -1 .g -1 ; p d was reduced in dysfunctional segments of patients (38.9 ± 21.2 ml.g -1 ) compared with normal segments (52.2 ± 19.6 ml.g -1 ) and compared with controls (62.7 ± 11.3 ml.g -1 ). In patients, regional MGU was correlated with HED V d . The results of this study provide novel evidence of a correlation between cardiac sympathetic function and insulin sensitivity, which may represent one of the mechanisms contributing to insulin resistance in failing human hearts. (orig.)

  15. Two-mode multiplexing at 2 × 10.7 Gbps over a 7-cell hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Jing; Peucheret, Christophe; Lyngsø, Jens Kristian

    2012-01-01

    mode division multiplexing (MDM). In this work, we demonstrate MDM over a HC-PBGF for the first time. Two 10.7 Gbps channels are simultaneously transmitted over two modes of a 30-m long 7-cell HC-PBGF. Bit error ratio (BER) performances below the FEC threshold limit (3.3 × 10−3) are shown for both data...

  16. γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration inversely correlates with basal perfusion in human occipital lobe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donahue, Manus J; Rane, Swati; Hussey, Erin; Mason, Emily; Pradhan, Subechhya; Waddell, Kevin W; Ally, Brandon A

    2014-03-01

    Commonly used neuroimaging approaches in humans exploit hemodynamic or metabolic indicators of brain function. However, fundamental gaps remain in our ability to relate such hemo-metabolic reactivity to neurotransmission, with recent reports providing paradoxical information regarding the relationship among basal perfusion, functional imaging contrast, and neurotransmission in awake humans. Here, sequential magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) measurements of the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA+macromolecules normalized by the complex N-acetyl aspartate-N-acetyl aspartyl glutamic acid: [GABA(+)]/[NAA-NAAG]), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of perfusion, fractional gray-matter volume, and arterial arrival time (AAT) are recorded in human visual cortex from a controlled cohort of young adult male volunteers with neurocognitive battery-confirmed comparable cognitive capacity (3 T; n=16; age=23±3 years). Regression analyses reveal an inverse correlation between [GABA(+)]/[NAA-NAAG] and perfusion (R=-0.46; P=0.037), yet no relationship between AAT and [GABA(+)]/[NAA-NAAG] (R=-0.12; P=0.33). Perfusion measurements that do not control for AAT variations reveal reduced correlations between [GABA(+)]/[NAA-NAAG] and perfusion (R=-0.13; P=0.32). These findings largely reconcile contradictory reports between perfusion and inhibitory tone, and underscore the physiologic origins of the growing literature relating functional imaging signals, hemodynamics, and neurotransmission.

  17. Aberrations of the p53 pathway components p53, MDM2 and CDKN2A appear independent in diffuse large B cell lymphoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Michael Boe; Ino, Y; Gerdes, A M

    1999-01-01

    The two gene products of the CDKN2A gene, p16 and p19ARF, have recently been linked to each of two major tumour suppressor pathways in human carcinogenesis, the RB1 pathway and the p53 pathway. p16 inhibits the phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma gene product by cyclin D-dependent kinases...

  18. Elevated circulating lipasin/betatrophin in human type 2 diabetes and obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Zhiyao; Berhane, Feven; Fite, Alemu; Seyoum, Berhane; Abou-Samra, Abdul B; Zhang, Ren

    2014-05-23

    Lipasin (also known as C19ORF80, RIFL, ANGPTL8 and betatrophin) is a newly discovered circulating factor that regulates lipid metabolism and promotes pancreatic β-cell proliferation. Whether circulating levels of lipasin in humans are altered in a) type 2 diabetes; b) obesity and c) the postprandial state, however, is unknown. The current study aimed to compare serum lipasin levels in those who were a) non-diabetic (N=15) or diabetic (BMI- and age-matched; N=14); b) lean or obese (N=53 totally) and c) fasting and 2 hours following a defined meal (N=12). Serum lipasin levels were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Lipasin levels [mean±SEM] were increased by more than two fold (Plipasin levels were positively correlated with BMI (rho=0.49, Plipasin/betatrophin is nutritionally-regulated hepatokine that is increased in human type 2 diabetes and obesity.

  19. Report on achievements of commissioned studies on research and development of a technology to apply human senses to measurements in fiscal 1994. 2. Main issue (Part 5 for research and development of a correlation and evaluation technology); 1994 nendo ningen kankaku keisoku oyo gijutsu no kenkyu kaihatsu. 2. Honronhen (Sokan hyoka gijutsu no kenkyu kaihatsu)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-03-01

    This paper describes the research and development of (1) working environment having human senses and affinity at nuclear electric power plants, (2) a correlation technology for comfort in composite environments composed mainly of warm heat environment, (3) space-type human interface adapted to human senses, and (4) a human comfort meter. With regard to the subject (1), improvements were made on the experimental facilities, data processing systems, and environment improving devices, and data were collected and evaluated from subject experiments. With regard to the subject (2), 'development of a system to investigate correlation among externally stimulating environment, physiological effects, and sense volume based on a physiological reaction model', and 'research and development of a quantitative evaluation technology for comfort in composite environments composed mainly of warm heat environment' were executed. With respect to the subject (3), 'measurement of factors in visual sense operating environment affecting mental burden feeling', 'development of space-type human interface', and 'research on a method to utilize the eyeball movement information' were carried out. With regard to the subject (4), a warm heat sensing element structure was developed. In addition, a comfort determining software was completed that calculates hot-cold heat sense of a human body from different conditions of the warm heat sensing elements. (NEDO)

  20. Coral reef degradation is not correlated with local human population density

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruno, John F.; Valdivia, Abel

    2016-07-01

    The global decline of reef-building corals is understood to be due to a combination of local and global stressors. However, many reef scientists assume that local factors predominate and that isolated reefs, far from human activities, are generally healthier and more resilient. Here we show that coral reef degradation is not correlated with human population density. This suggests that local factors such as fishing and pollution are having minimal effects or that their impacts are masked by global drivers such as ocean warming. Our results also suggest that the effects of local and global stressors are antagonistic, rather than synergistic as widely assumed. These findings indicate that local management alone cannot restore coral populations or increase the resilience of reefs to large-scale impacts. They also highlight the truly global reach of anthropogenic warming and the immediate need for drastic and sustained cuts in carbon emissions.

  1. Neuropilin-2 expression in breast cancer: correlation with lymph node metastasis, poor prognosis, and regulation of CXCR4 expression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasuoka, Hironao; Kodama, Rieko; Tsujimoto, Masahiko; Yoshidome, Katsuhide; Akamatsu, Hiroki; Nakahara, Masaaki; Inagaki, Michiya; Sanke, Tokio; Nakamura, Yasushi

    2009-01-01

    Neuropilin-2 (Nrp2) is a receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C), which is a well-known lymphangiogenic factor and plays an important role in lymph node metastasis of various human cancers, including breast cancer. Recently, Nrp2 was shown to play a role in cancer by promoting tumor cell metastasis. CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) also promotes tumor metastasis. In the previous studies, we demonstrated that VEGF-C and cytoplasmic CXCR4 expressions were correlated with poorer patient prognosis (BMC Cancer 2008,8:340; Breast Cancer Res Treat 2005, 91:125–132). The relationship between Nrp2 expression and lymph node metastasis, VEGF-C expression, CXCR4 expression, and other established clinicopathological variables (these data were cited in our previous papers), including prognosis, was analyzed in human breast cancer. Effects of neutralizing anti-Nrp2 antibody on CXCR4 expression and chemotaxis were assessed in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Nrp2 expression was observed in 53.1% (60 of 113) of the invasive breast carcinomas. Nrp2 expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, VEGF-C expression, and cytoplasmic CXCR4 expression. Survival curves determined by the Kaplan-Meier method showed that Nrp2 expression was associated with reduced overall survival. In multivariate analysis, Nrp2 expression emerged as a significant independent predictor for overall survival. Neutralizing anti-Nrp2 antibody blocks cytoplasmic CXCR4 expression and CXCR4-induced migration in MDA-MB-231 cells. Nrp2 expression was correlated with lymph node metastasis, VEGF-C expression, and cytoplasmic CXCR4 expression. Nrp2 expression may serve as a significant prognostic factor for long-term survival in breast cancer. Our data also showed a role for Nrp2 in regulating cytoplasmic CXCR4 expression in vitro

  2. Biomagnetic and bioelectric detection of gastric slow wave activity in normal human subjects—a correlation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Somarajan, S; Muszynski, N D; Obioha, C; Bradshaw, L A; Richards, W O

    2012-01-01

    We measured gastric slow wave activity simultaneously with a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) magnetometer, mucosal electrodes and cutaneous electrodes in 18 normal human subjects (11 women and 7 men). We processed signals with Fourier spectral analysis and SOBI blind-source separation techniques. We observed a high waveform correlation between the mucosal electromyogram (EMG) and multichannel SQUID magnetogastrogram (MGG). There was a lower waveform correlation between the mucosal EMG and cutaneous electrogastrogram (EGG), but the correlation improved with the application of SOBI. There was also a high correlation between the frequency of the electrical activity recorded in the MGG and in mucosal electrodes (r = 0.97). We concluded that SQUID magnetometers noninvasively record gastric slow wave activity that is highly correlated with the activity recorded by invasive mucosal electrodes. (paper)

  3. TP53 supports basal-like differentiation of mammary epithelial cells by preventing translocation of deltaNp63 into nucleoli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munne, Pauliina M.; Gu, Yuexi; Tumiati, Manuela; Gao, Ping; Koopal, Sonja; Uusivirta, Sanna; Sawicki, Janet; Wei, Gong-Hong; Kuznetsov, Sergey G.

    2014-04-01

    Multiple observations suggest a cell type-specific role for TP53 in mammary epithelia. We developed an in vitro assay, in which primary mouse mammary epithelial cells (mMECs) progressed from lumenal to basal-like phenotypes based on expression of Krt18 or ΔNp63, respectively. Such transition was markedly delayed in Trp53-/- mMECs suggesting that Trp53 is required for specification of the basal, but not lumenal cells. Evidence from human basal-like cell lines suggests that TP53 may support the activity of ΔNp63 by preventing its translocation from nucleoplasm into nucleoli. In human lumenal cells, activation of TP53 by inhibiting MDM2 or BRCA1 restored the nucleoplasmic expression of ΔNp63. Trp53-/- mMECs eventually lost epithelial features resulting in upregulation of MDM2 and translocation of ΔNp63 into nucleoli. We propose that TP63 may contribute to TP53-mediated oncogenic transformation of epithelial cells and shed light on tissue- and cell type-specific biases observed for TP53-related cancers.

  4. Therapeutic Response to Non-genotoxic Activation of p53 by Nutlin3a Is Driven by PUMA-Mediated Apoptosis in Lymphoma Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liz J. Valente

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Nutlin3a is a small-molecule antagonist of MDM2 that promotes non-genotoxic activation of p53 through p53 protein stabilization and transactivation of p53 target genes. Nutlin3a is the forerunner of a class of cancer therapeutics that have reached clinical trials. Using transgenic and gene-targeted mouse models lacking the critical p53 target genes, p21, Puma, and Noxa, we found that only loss of PUMA conferred profound protection against Nutlin3a-induced killing in both non-transformed lymphoid cells and Eμ-Myc lymphomas in vitro and in vivo. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeting of the PUMA gene rendered human hematopoietic cancer cell lines markedly resistant to Nutlin3a-induced cell death. These results demonstrate that PUMA-mediated apoptosis, but not p21-mediated cell-cycle arrest or senescence, is a critical determinant of the therapeutic response to non-genotoxic p53 activation by Nutlin3a. Importantly, in human cancer, PUMA expression may predict patient responses to treatment with MDM2 antagonists.

  5. Investigation of spatial correlation in MR images of human cerebral white matter using geostatistical methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Keil, Fabian

    2014-03-20

    Investigating the structure of human cerebral white matter is gaining interest in the neurological as well as in the neuroscientific community. It has been demonstrated in many studies that white matter is a very dynamic structure, rather than a static construct which does not change for a lifetime. That means, structural changes within white matter can be observed even on short timescales, e.g. in the course of normal ageing, neurodegenerative diseases or even during learning processes. To investigate these changes, one method of choice is the texture analysis of images obtained from white matter. In this regard, MRI plays a distinguished role as it provides a completely non-invasive way of acquiring in vivo images of human white matter. This thesis adapted a statistical texture analysis method, known as variography, to quantify the spatial correlation of human cerebral white matter based on MR images. This method, originally introduced in geoscience, relies on the idea of spatial correlation in geological phenomena: in naturally grown structures near things are correlated stronger to each other than distant things. This work reveals that the geological principle of spatial correlation can be applied to MR images of human cerebral white matter and proves that variography is an adequate method to quantify alterations therein. Since the process of MRI data acquisition is completely different to the measuring process used to quantify geological phenomena, the variographic analysis had to be adapted carefully to MR methods in order to provide a correctly working methodology. Therefore, theoretical considerations were evaluated with numerical samples in a first, and validated with real measurements in a second step. It was shown that MR variography facilitates to reduce the information stored in the texture of a white matter image to a few highly significant parameters, thereby quantifying heterogeneity and spatial correlation distance with an accuracy better than 5

  6. Detection of gene copy number aberrations in mantle cell lymphoma by a single quantitative multiplex PCR assay: clinicopathological relevance and prognosis value.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jardin, Fabrice; Picquenot, Jean-Michel; Parmentier, Françoise; Ruminy, Philippe; Cornic, Marie; Penther, Dominique; Bertrand, Philippe; Lanic, Hélène; Cassuto, Ophélie; Humbrecht, Catherine; Lemasle, Emilie; Wautier, Agathe; Bastard, Christian; Tilly, Hervé

    2009-09-01

    The t(11;14)(q13;q32) is the hallmark of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Additional genetic alterations occur in the majority of cases. This study aimed to design a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to determine the incidence and relevance of recurrent gene copy number aberrations in this disease. Forty-two MCL cases with frozen- or paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues were selected. Three different quantitative Multiplex PCR of Short Fluorescent Fragments (QMPSF) assays were designed to simultaneously analyse eight genes (CDKN2A, RB1, ATM, CDK2, TP53, MYC, CDKN1B, MDM2), to analyse the 9p21 locus (CDKN2A/CDKN2B) and FFPE tissues. Gains of MYC, CDK2, CDKN1B, and MDM2 were observed in 10% of cases. Losses of RB1, CDKN2A, ATM or TP53 were observed in 38%, 31%, 24% and 10% of cases, respectively. Analysis of the 9p21 locus indicated that, in most cases, tumours displayed a complete inactivation of p14(ARF)/p15I(NK4B)/p16I(NK4A). CDKN2A and MYC aberrations were associated with a high MCL international prognostic index (MIPI). CDK2/MDM2 gains and CDKN2A/TP53 losses correlated with an unfavourable outcome. PCR experiments with frozen and FFPE-tissues indicated that our approach is valid in a routine diagnostic setting, providing a powerful tool that could be used for patient stratification in combination with MIPI in future clinical trials.

  7. The dual action of poly(ADP-ribose polymerase -1 (PARP-1 inhibition in HIV-1 infection: HIV-1 LTR inhibition and diminution in Rho GTPase activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Slava eRom

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The transcription of HIV-1 (HIV is regulated by complex mechanisms involving various cellular factors and virus-encoded transactivators. Poly(ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP-1 inhibition has emerged recently as a potent anti-inflammatory tool, since PARP-1 is involved in the regulation of some genes through its interaction with various transcription factors. We propose a novel approach to diminish HIV replication via PARP-1 inhibition using human primary monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM as an in vitro model system. PARP-1 inhibitors were able to reduce HIV replication in MDM by 60-80% after 7 days infection. Long Terminal Repeat (LTR acts as a switch in virus replication and can be triggered by several agents such as: Tat, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα, and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA. Overexpression of Tat in MDM transfected with an LTR reporter plasmid led to a 4.2-fold increase in LTR activation; PARP inhibition resulted in 70% reduction of LTR activity. LTR activity, which increased 3-fold after PMA or TNFα treatment, was reduced by PARP inhibition (by 85-95%. MDM treated with PARP inhibitors showed 90% reduction in NFκB activity (known to mediate PMA- and TNFα-induced HIV LTR activation. Cytoskeleton rearrangements are important in effective HIV-1 infection. PARP inactivation reduced actin cytoskeleton rearrangements by affecting Rho GTPase machinery. These findings suggest that HIV replication in MDM could be suppressed by PARP inhibition via NFκB suppression, diminution of LTR activation and its effects on the cytoskeleton. PARP appears to be essential for HIV replication and its inhibition may provide a potent approach to treatment of HIV infection.

  8. Characterization of the stimulation of human platelets by stable analogues of PGH2/TXA2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morinelli, T.A.

    1987-01-01

    The specific effects of the TXA 2 /PGH 2 analogues, U46619 (9,11-dideoxy,9α-11α-methanoepoxy-PGF/sub 2α/), and 9,11 aza-PGH 2 , on human platelet shape change, myosin light chain phosphorylation, serotonin release, fibrinogen receptor exposure and platelet aggregation were measured and compared with binding of 3 H-U46619 to platelets. Shape change and myosin light chain phosphorylation were found to saturable and dose dependent. These two effects were competitively inhibited by specific antagonists of TXA 2 /PGH 2 receptors (BM13177 and I-PTA-OH) indicating that they are receptor mediated. Binding of 3 H-U46619 showed two components. Occupancy of high affinity binding sites correlated with platelet shape change and myosin and light chain phosphorylation. A second component with an apparent K/sub d/ of 1.46 +/- 0.47 μM, may represent a second, low-affinity site. Therefore, the platelet release reaction as not directly correlated with occupancy of high affinity receptors but could be related to the second binding component of U46619. Fibrinogen receptor exposure and platelet aggregation caused by U46619 appeared to be events mediated by the release of ADP from platelet dense granules

  9. Circumvention and reactivation of the p53 oncogene checkpoint in mouse colon tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aizu, Wataru; Belinsky, Glenn S; Flynn, Christopher; Noonan, Emily J; Boes, Colleen C; Godman, Cassandra A; Doshi, Bindi; Nambiar, Prashant R; Rosenberg, Daniel W; Giardina, Charles

    2006-10-16

    The p53 tumor suppressor protein is sequence-normal in azoxymethane (AOM)-induced mouse colon tumors, making them a good model for human colon cancers that retain a wild type p53 gene. Cellular localization and co-immunoprecipitation experiments using a cell line derived from an AOM-induced colon tumor (AJ02-NM(0) cells) pointed to constitutively expressed Mdm2 as being an important negative regulator of p53 in these cells. Although the Mdm2 inhibitory protein p19/ARF was expressed in AJ02-NM(0) cells, its level of expression was not sufficient for p53 activation. We tested the response of AJ02-NM(0) cells to the recently developed Mdm2 inhibitor, Nutlin-3. Nutlin-3 was found to activate p53 DNA binding in AJ02-NM(0) cells, to a level comparable to doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). In addition, Nutlin-3 increased expression of the p53 target genes Bax and PERP to a greater extent than doxorubicin or 5-FU, and triggered a G2/M phase arrest in these cells, compared to a G1 arrest triggered by doxorubicin and 5-FU. The differences in the cellular response may be related to differences in the kinetics of p53 activation and/or its post-translational modification status. In an ex vivo experiment, Nutlin-3 was found to activate p53 target gene expression and apoptosis in AOM-induced tumor tissue, but not in normal adjacent mucosa. Our data indicate that Mdm2 inhibitors may be an effective means of selectively targeting colon cancers that retain a sequence-normal p53 gene while sparing normal tissue and that the AOM model is an appropriate model for the preclinical development of these drugs.

  10. CYP2J2 and CYP2C19 are the major enzymes responsible for metabolism of albendazole and fenbendazole in human liver microsomes and recombinant P450 assay systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Zhexue; Lee, Doohyun; Joo, Jeongmin; Shin, Jung-Hoon; Kang, Wonku; Oh, Sangtaek; Lee, Do Yup; Lee, Su-Jun; Yea, Sung Su; Lee, Hye Suk; Lee, Taeho; Liu, Kwang-Hyeon

    2013-11-01

    Albendazole and fenbendazole are broad-spectrum anthelmintics that undergo extensive metabolism to form hydroxyl and sulfoxide metabolites. Although CYP3A and flavin-containing monooxygenase have been implicated in sulfoxide metabolite formation, the enzymes responsible for hydroxyl metabolite formation have not been identified. In this study, we used human liver microsomes and recombinant cytochrome P450s (P450s) to characterize the enzymes involved in the formation of hydroxyalbendazole and hydroxyfenbendazole from albendazole and fenbendazole, respectively. Of the 10 recombinant P450s, CYP2J2 and/or CYP2C19 was the predominant enzyme catalyzing the hydroxylation of albendazole and fenbendazole. Albendazole hydroxylation to hydroxyalbendazole is primarily mediated by CYP2J2 (0.34 μl/min/pmol P450, which is a rate 3.9- and 8.1-fold higher than the rates for CYP2C19 and CYP2E1, respectively), whereas CYP2C19 and CYP2J2 contributed to the formation of hydroxyfenbendazole from fenbendazole (2.68 and 1.94 μl/min/pmol P450 for CYP2C19 and CYP2J2, respectively, which are rates 11.7- and 8.4-fold higher than the rate for CYP2D6). Correlation analysis between the known P450 enzyme activities and the rate of hydroxyalbendazole and hydroxyfenbendazole formation in samples from 14 human liver microsomes showed that albendazole hydroxylation correlates with CYP2J2 activity and fenbendazole hydroxylation correlates with CYP2C19 and CYP2J2 activities. These findings were supported by a P450 isoform-selective inhibition study in human liver microsomes. In conclusion, our data for the first time suggest that albendazole hydroxylation is primarily catalyzed by CYP2J2, whereas fenbendazole hydroxylation is preferentially catalyzed by CYP2C19 and CYP2J2. The present data will be useful in understanding the pharmacokinetics and drug interactions of albendazole and fenbendazole in vivo.

  11. Exploring personality traits related to dopamine D2/3 receptor availability in striatal subregions of humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caravaggio, Fernando; Fervaha, Gagan; Chung, Jun Ku; Gerretsen, Philip; Nakajima, Shinichiro; Plitman, Eric; Iwata, Yusuke; Wilson, Alan; Graff-Guerrero, Ariel

    2016-04-01

    While several studies have examined how particular personality traits are related to dopamine D2/3 receptor (D2/3R) availability in the striatum of humans, few studies have reported how multiple traits measured in the same persons are differentially related to D2/3R availability in different striatal sub-regions. We examined how personality traits measured with the Karolinska Scales of Personality are related to striatal D2/3R availability measured with [(11)C]-raclopride in 30 healthy humans. Based on previous the literature, five personality traits were hypothesized to be most likely related to D2/3R availability: impulsiveness, monotony avoidance, detachment, social desirability, and socialization. We found self-reported impulsiveness was negatively correlated with D2/3R availability in the ventral striatum and globus pallidus. After controlling for age and gender, monotony avoidance was also negatively correlated with D2/3R availability in the ventral striatum and globus pallidus. Socialization was positively correlated with D2/3R availability in the ventral striatum and putamen. After controlling for age and gender, the relationship between socialization and D2/3R availability in these regions survived correction for multiple comparisons (p-threshold=.003). Thus, within the same persons, different personality traits are differentially related to in vivo D2/3R availability in different striatal sub-regions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.

  12. Can human resources induce sustainability in business?: Modeling, testing and correlating HR index and company's business results

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zubović Jovan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In this paper the authors analyze the impact of the composite human resource index on sustainable growth in a specific business sector in a transition country. Sustainability of country's economy is growingly relying on the knowledge economy which has been implemented in strategies of sustainable development throughout Europe. The knowledge economy is mostly based on human resources and the way they are organized and managed in the companies actively operating in competitive markets. In order to confirm importance of the human resources (HR index, results were tested by means of modeling, measuring and correlating the HR index with business results at micro level. The tests were conducted on the data from the survey in Serbian meat processing industry. The results were then compared with the results from the survey conducted in a financial industry. Moreover, a model was made that could be applicable in all countries that do not have available official statistic data on the level of investments in human resources. The focus was on determining the correlation direction, and hence creating a research model applicable in all business sectors. It has been found that a significant one-way correlation exists between business performance and increased HR index. In that way it has been confirmed that in Serbian economy that has recorded global decrease during transition, certain business sectors, and especially companies with high levels of investments in improving its HR index record above average and sustainable growth.

  13. MUC2 Expression Is Correlated with Tumor Differentiation and Inhibits Tumor Invasion in Gastric Carcinomas: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jung-Soo Pyo

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: While MUC2 is expressed in intestinal metaplasia and malignant lesions, the clinicopathological significance of MUC2 expression is not fully elucidated in gastric carcinoma (GC. Methods: The present study investigated the correlation between MUC2 expression and clinicopathological parameters in 167 human GCs. In addition, to confirm the clinicopathological significance of MUC2 expression, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis in 1,832 GCs. Results: MUC2 expression was found in 58 of 167 GCs (34.7%. MUC2-expressing GC showed lower primary tumor (T, regional lymph node (N, and tumor node metastasis (TNM stages compared with GCs without MUC2 expression (p=.001, p=.001, and p=.011, respectively. However, MUC2 expression was not correlated with Lauren’s classification and tumor differentiation. In meta-analysis, MUC2 expression was significantly correlated with differentiation and lower tumor stage (odds ratio [OR], 1.303; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.020 to 1.664; p = .034 and OR, 1.352; 95% CI, 1.055 to 1.734; p = .017, respectively but not with Lauren’s classification, pN stage, or pTNM stage. Conclusions: MUC2 expression was correlated with a lower tumor depth and lower lymph node metastasis in our study; the meta-analysis showed a correlation of MUC2 expression with tumor differentiation and lower tumor depth.

  14. Strong Country Level Correlation between Syphilis and HSV-2 Prevalence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenyon, Chris Richard; Tsoumanis, Achilleas

    2016-01-01

    Background. Syphilis is curable but Herpes Simplex Virus-2 (HSV-2) is not. As a result, the prevalence of syphilis but not HSV-2 may be influenced by the efficacy of national STI screening and treatment capacity. If the prevalence of syphilis and HSV-2 is found to be correlated, then this makes it more likely that something other than differential STI treatment is responsible for variations in the prevalence of both HSV-2 and syphilis. Methods. Simple linear regression was used to evaluate the relationship between national antenatal syphilis prevalence and HSV-2 prevalence in women in two time periods: 1990–1999 and 2008. Adjustments were performed for the laboratory syphilis testing algorithm used and the prevalence of circumcision. Results. The prevalence of syphilis was positively correlated with that of HSV-2 for both time periods (adjusted correlations, 20–24-year-olds: 1990–99: R 2 = 0.54, P < 0.001; 2008: R 2 = 0.41, P < 0.001 and 40–44-year-olds: 1990–99: R 2 = 0.42, P < 0.001; 2008: R 2 = 0.49, P < 0.001). Conclusion. The prevalence of syphilis and HSV-2 is positively correlated. This could be due to a common set of risk factors underpinning both STIs. PMID:27069710

  15. Non-thermal production of minimal dark matter via right-handed neutrino decay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aoki, Mayumi; Toma, Takashi; Vicente, Avelino

    2015-01-01

    Minimal Dark Matter (MDM) stands as one of the simplest dark matter scenarios. In MDM models, annihilation and co-annihilation processes among the members of the MDM multiplet are usually very efficient, pushing the dark matter mass above O(10) TeV in order to reproduce the observed dark matter relic density. Motivated by this little drawback, in this paper we consider an extension of the MDM scenario by three right-handed neutrinos. Two specific choices for the MDM multiplet are studied: a fermionic SU(2) L quintuplet and a scalar SU(2) L septuplet. The lightest right-handed neutrino, with tiny Yukawa couplings, never reaches thermal equilibrium in the early universe and is produced by freeze-in. This creates a link between dark matter and neutrino physics: dark matter can be non-thermally produced by the decay of the lightest right-handed neutrino after freeze-out, allowing to lower significantly the dark matter mass. We discuss the phenomenology of the non-thermally produced MDM and, taking into account significant Sommerfeld corrections, we find that the dark matter mass must have some specific values in order not to be in conflict with the current bounds from gamma-ray observations

  16. Correlation of human epidermal growth factor receptor protein expression and colorectal cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Wen-Juan; Shen, Xing-Jie; Ma, Xiao-Xia; Tan, Zhi-Gang; Song, Yan; Guo, Yi-Tong; Yuan, Mei

    2015-07-28

    To investigate the correlation between human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER-2) protein expression and colorectal cancer (CRC) using a case-control study and meta-analysis. Tumor tissue specimens from 162 CRC patients were selected for the case group. Fifty cases were randomly selected, and normal CRC tissue at least 10 cm away from the tumor margins of these cases was used to generate the control group. The expression of the HER-2 protein in the 162 CRC tissue samples and the 50 adjacent normal mucosa tissue samples was detected via immunohistochemistry. The experimental data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 software, and R software version 3.1.0 was utilized for further verification. The expression of HER-2 protein in the 162 CRC tissue samples was significantly higher than in the normal tissue specimens. The data showed that the expression of HER-2 in CRC was related to the Dukes' stage, the depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis. The HER-2-positive patients had lower 3- and 5-year OS rates than the HER-2-negative patients, but there was no significant difference. However, there was a statistically significant difference in the 3- and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates of HER-2-positive and HER-2-negative patients. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the expression of HER-2 in CRC patients was statistically significantly increased over that of healthy people. The 3-year DFS rate in HER-2-positive patients was markedly lower than that in HER-2-negative patients. Down-regulation of HER-2 expression might be a dependable strategy for CRC therapy.

  17. Report on achievements of commissioned studies on research and development of a technology to apply human senses to measurements in fiscal 1994. 2. Main issue (Part 5 for research and development of a correlation and evaluation technology); 1994 nendo ningen kankaku keisoku oyo gijutsu no kenkyu kaihatsu. 2. Honronhen (Sokan hyoka gijutsu no kenkyu kaihatsu)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-03-01

    This paper describes the research and development of (1) working environment having human senses and affinity at nuclear electric power plants, (2) a correlation technology for comfort in composite environments composed mainly of warm heat environment, (3) space-type human interface adapted to human senses, and (4) a human comfort meter. With regard to the subject (1), improvements were made on the experimental facilities, data processing systems, and environment improving devices, and data were collected and evaluated from subject experiments. With regard to the subject (2), 'development of a system to investigate correlation among externally stimulating environment, physiological effects, and sense volume based on a physiological reaction model', and 'research and development of a quantitative evaluation technology for comfort in composite environments composed mainly of warm heat environment' were executed. With respect to the subject (3), 'measurement of factors in visual sense operating environment affecting mental burden feeling', 'development of space-type human interface', and 'research on a method to utilize the eyeball movement information' were carried out. With regard to the subject (4), a warm heat sensing element structure was developed. In addition, a comfort determining software was completed that calculates hot-cold heat sense of a human body from different conditions of the warm heat sensing elements. (NEDO)

  18. Correlation between quantitative HER-2 protein expression and risk for brain metastases in HER-2+ advanced breast cancer patients receiving trastuzumab-containing therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duchnowska, Renata; Biernat, Wojciech; Szostakiewicz, Barbara; Sperinde, Jeff; Piette, Fanny; Haddad, Mojgan; Paquet, Agnes; Lie, Yolanda; Czartoryska-Arłukowicz, Bogumiła; Wysocki, Piotr; Jankowski, Tomasz; Radecka, Barbara; Foszczynska-Kłoda, Małgorzata; Litwiniuk, Maria; Debska, Sylwia; Weidler, Jodi; Huang, Weidong; Buyse, Marc; Bates, Michael; Jassem, Jacek

    2012-01-01

    Patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2+ breast cancer are at particularly high risk for brain metastases; however, the biological basis is not fully understood. Using a novel HER-2 assay, we investigated the correlation between quantitative HER-2 expression in primary breast cancers and the time to brain metastasis (TTBM) in HER-2+ advanced breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab. The study group included 142 consecutive patients who were administered trastuzumab-based therapy for HER-2+ metastatic breast cancer. HER-2/neu gene copy number was quantified as the HER-2/centromeric probe for chromosome 17 (CEP17) ratio by central laboratory fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). HER-2 protein was quantified as total HER-2 protein expression (H2T) by the HERmark® assay (Monogram Biosciences, Inc., South San Francisco, CA) in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor samples. HER-2 variables were correlated with clinical features and TTBM was measured from the initiation of trastuzumab-containing therapy. A higher H2T level (continuous variable) was correlated with shorter TTBM, whereas HER-2 amplification by FISH and a continuous HER-2/CEP17 ratio were not predictive (p = .013, .28, and .25, respectively). In the subset of patients that was centrally determined by FISH to be HER-2+, an above-the-median H2T level was significantly associated with a shorter TTBM (hazard ratio, [HR], 2.4; p = .005), whereas this was not true for the median HER-2/CEP17 ratio by FISH (p = .4). Correlation between a continuous H2T level and TTBM was confirmed on multivariate analysis (HR, 3.3; p = .024). These data reveal a strong relationship between the quantitative HER-2 protein expression level and the risk for brain relapse in HER-2+ advanced breast cancer patients. Consequently, quantitative assessment of HER-2 protein expression may inform and facilitate refinements in therapeutic treatment strategies for selected subpopulations of patients in this

  19. Human hepatocytes support the hypertrophic but not the hyperplastic response to the murine nongenotoxic hepatocarcinogen sodium phenobarbital in an in vivo study using a chimeric mouse with humanized liver.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamada, Tomoya; Okuda, Yu; Kushida, Masahiko; Sumida, Kayo; Takeuchi, Hayato; Nagahori, Hirohisa; Fukuda, Takako; Lake, Brian G; Cohen, Samuel M; Kawamura, Satoshi

    2014-11-01

    High doses of sodium phenobarbital (NaPB), a constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) activator, have been shown to produce hepatocellular tumors in rodents by a mitogenic mode of action (MOA) involving CAR activation. The effect of 1-week dietary treatment with NaPB on liver weight and histopathology, hepatic CYP2B enzyme activity and CYP2B/3A mRNA expression, replicative DNA synthesis and selected genes related to cell proliferation, and functional transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses was studied in male CD-1 mice, Wistar Hannover (WH) rats, and chimeric mice with human hepatocytes. The treatment of chimeric mice with 1000-1500-ppm NaPB resulted in plasma levels around 3-5-fold higher than those observed in human subjects given therapeutic doses of NaPB. NaPB produced dose-dependent increases in hepatic CYP2B activity and CYP2B/3A mRNA levels in all animal models. Integrated functional metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses demonstrated that the responses to NaPB in the human liver were clearly different from those in rodents. Although NaPB produced a dose-dependent increase in hepatocyte replicative DNA synthesis in CD-1 mice and WH rats, no increase in replicative DNA synthesis was observed in human hepatocyte-originated areas of chimeric mice. In addition, treatment with NaPB had no effect on Ki-67, PCNA, GADD45β, and MDM2 mRNA expression in chimeric mice, whereas significant increases were observed in CD-1 mice and/or WH rats. However, increases in hepatocyte replicative DNA synthesis were observed in chimeric mice both in vivo and in vitro after treatment epidermal growth factor. Thus, although NaPB could activate CAR in both rodent and human hepatocytes, NaPB did not increase replicative DNA synthesis in human hepatocytes of chimeric mice, whereas it was mitogenic to rat and mouse hepatocytes. As human hepatocytes are refractory to the mitogenic effects of NaPB, the MOA for NaPB-induced rodent liver tumor formation is thus not relevant for humans. © The

  20. Acromioclavicular joint dislocations: radiological correlation between Rockwood classification system and injury patterns in human cadaver species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eschler, Anica; Rösler, Klaus; Rotter, Robert; Gradl, Georg; Mittlmeier, Thomas; Gierer, Philip

    2014-09-01

    The classification system of Rockwood and Young is a commonly used classification for acromioclavicular joint separations subdividing types I-VI. This classification hypothesizes specific lesions to anatomical structures (acromioclavicular and coracoclavicular ligaments, capsule, attached muscles) leading to the injury. In recent literature, our understanding for anatomical correlates leading to the radiological-based Rockwood classification is questioned. The goal of this experimental-based investigation was to approve the correlation between the anatomical injury pattern and the Rockwood classification. In four human cadavers (seven shoulders), the acromioclavicular and coracoclavicular ligaments were transected stepwise. Radiological correlates were recorded (Zanca view) with 15-kg longitudinal tension applied at the wrist. The resulting acromio- and coracoclavicular distances were measured. Radiographs after acromioclavicular ligament transection showed joint space enlargement (8.6 ± 0.3 vs. 3.1 ± 0.5 mm, p acromioclavicular joint space width increased to 16.7 ± 2.7 vs. 8.6 ± 0.3 mm, p acromioclavicular joint lesions higher than Rockwood type I and II. The clinical consequence for reconstruction of low-grade injuries might be a solely surgical approach for the acromioclavicular ligaments or conservative treatment. High-grade injuries were always based on additional structural damage to the coracoclavicular ligaments. Rockwood type V lesions occurred while muscle attachments were intact.

  1. Correlation inequalities for the Yukawa2 quantum field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosen, L.

    1981-01-01

    Correlation inequalities have been useful in statistical mechanics and quantum field theory. In particular, in the case of strongly coupled bose quantum field models such as P(phi) 2 , correlation inequalities provide the best control of the infinite volume limit. The author reports on work in which the FKG inequality was established in the Yukawa 2 quantum field theory. An elementary proof of the first Griffiths inequality is also given. (Auth.)

  2. Correlation between model observer and human observer performance in CT imaging when lesion location is uncertain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leng, Shuai; Yu, Lifeng; Zhang, Yi; McCollough, Cynthia H. [Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, Minnesota 55905 (United States); Carter, Rickey [Department of Biostatistics, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, Minnesota 55905 (United States); Toledano, Alicia Y. [Biostatistics Consulting, LLC, 10606 Wheatley Street, Kensington, Maryland 20895 (United States)

    2013-08-15

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between model observer and human observer performance in CT imaging for the task of lesion detection and localization when the lesion location is uncertain.Methods: Two cylindrical rods (3-mm and 5-mm diameters) were placed in a 35 × 26 cm torso-shaped water phantom to simulate lesions with −15 HU contrast at 120 kV. The phantom was scanned 100 times on a 128-slice CT scanner at each of four dose levels (CTDIvol = 5.7, 11.4, 17.1, and 22.8 mGy). Regions of interest (ROIs) around each lesion were extracted to generate images with signal-present, with each ROI containing 128 × 128 pixels. Corresponding ROIs of signal-absent images were generated from images without lesion mimicking rods. The location of the lesion (rod) in each ROI was randomly distributed by moving the ROIs around each lesion. Human observer studies were performed by having three trained observers identify the presence or absence of lesions, indicating the lesion location in each image and scoring confidence for the detection task on a 6-point scale. The same image data were analyzed using a channelized Hotelling model observer (CHO) with Gabor channels. Internal noise was added to the decision variables for the model observer study. Area under the curve (AUC) of ROC and localization ROC (LROC) curves were calculated using a nonparametric approach. The Spearman's rank order correlation between the average performance of the human observers and the model observer performance was calculated for the AUC of both ROC and LROC curves for both the 3- and 5-mm diameter lesions.Results: In both ROC and LROC analyses, AUC values for the model observer agreed well with the average values across the three human observers. The Spearman's rank order correlation values for both ROC and LROC analyses for both the 3- and 5-mm diameter lesions were all 1.0, indicating perfect rank ordering agreement of the figures of merit (AUC

  3. Low amplitude rhythmic contraction frequency in human detrusor strips correlates with phasic intravesical pressure waves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colhoun, Andrew F; Speich, John E; Cooley, Lauren F; Bell, Eugene D; Barbee, R Wayne; Guruli, Georgi; Ratz, Paul H; Klausner, Adam P

    2017-08-01

    Low amplitude rhythmic contractions (LARC) occur in detrusor smooth muscle and may play a role in storage disorders such as overactive bladder and detrusor overactivity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether LARC frequencies identified in vitro from strips of human urinary bladder tissue correlate with in vivo LARC frequencies, visualized as phasic intravesical pressure (p ves ) waves during urodynamics (UD). After IRB approval, fresh strips of human urinary bladder were obtained from patients. LARC was recorded with tissue strips at low tension (rhythmic frequency similar to the in vitro LARC frequency quantified in human urinary bladder tissue strips. Further refinements of this technique may help identify subsets of individuals with LARC-mediated storage disorders.

  4. HIV-1 RNAs are Not Part of the Argonaute 2 Associated RNA Interference Pathway in Macrophages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valentina Vongrad

    Full Text Available MiRNAs and other small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs are key players in post-transcriptional gene regulation. HIV-1 derived small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs have been described in HIV-1 infected cells, but their biological functions still remain to be elucidated. Here, we approached the question whether viral sncRNAs may play a role in the RNA interference (RNAi pathway or whether viral mRNAs are targeted by cellular miRNAs in human monocyte derived macrophages (MDM.The incorporation of viral sncRNAs and/or their target RNAs into RNA-induced silencing complex was investigated using photoactivatable ribonucleoside-induced cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (PAR-CLIP as well as high-throughput sequencing of RNA isolated by cross-linking immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP, which capture Argonaute2-bound miRNAs and their target RNAs. HIV-1 infected monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM were chosen as target cells, as they have previously been shown to express HIV-1 sncRNAs. In addition, we applied small RNA deep sequencing to study differential cellular miRNA expression in HIV-1 infected versus non-infected MDMs.PAR-CLIP and HITS-CLIP data demonstrated the absence of HIV-1 RNAs in Ago2-RISC, although the presence of a multitude of HIV-1 sncRNAs in HIV-1 infected MDMs was confirmed by small RNA sequencing. Small RNA sequencing revealed that 1.4% of all sncRNAs were of HIV-1 origin. However, neither HIV-1 derived sncRNAs nor putative HIV-1 target sequences incorporated into Ago2-RISC were identified suggesting that HIV-1 sncRNAs are not involved in the canonical RNAi pathway nor is HIV-1 targeted by this pathway in HIV-1 infected macrophages.

  5. Plaquette-plaquette correlations in the SU(2) lattice gauge theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berg, B.

    1980-09-01

    Monte Carlo measurements of plaquette-plaquette correlations in the 4-dimensional SU(2) lattice gauge theory are reported. For low temperatures the glue ball mass (= inverse correlation length) is estimated to be msub(g) = (3.7 +- 1.2) √K, where K is the string tension. (orig.)

  6. Paternally expressed, imprinted insulin-like growth factor-2 in chorionic villi correlates significantly with birth weight.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charalambos Demetriou

    Full Text Available Fetal growth involves highly complex molecular pathways. IGF2 is a key paternally expressed growth hormone that is critical for in utero growth in mice. Its role in human fetal growth has remained ambiguous, as it has only been studied in term tissues. Conversely the maternally expressed growth suppressor, PHLDA2, has a significant negative correlation between its term placental expression and birth weight.The aim of this study is to address the role in early gestation of expression of IGF1, IGF2, their receptors IGF1R and IGF2R, and PHLDA2 on term birth weight.Real-time quantitative PCR was used to investigate mRNA expression of IGF1, IGF2, IGF1R, IGF2R and PHLDA2 in chorionic villus samples (CVS (n = 260 collected at 11-13 weeks' gestation. Expression was correlated with term birth weight using statistical package R including correction for several confounding factors.Transcript levels of IGF2 and IGF2R revealed a significant positive correlation with birth weight (0.009 and 0.04, respectively. No effect was observed for IGF1, IGF1R or PHLDA2 and birth weight. Critically, small for gestational age (SGA neonates had significantly lower IGF2 levels than appropriate for gestational age neonates (p = 3.6 × 10(-7.Our findings show that IGF2 mRNA levels at 12 weeks gestation could provide a useful predictor of future fetal growth to term, potentially predicting SGA babies. SGA babies are known to be at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes. This research reveals an imprinted, parentally driven rheostat for in utero growth.

  7. RELAP5/MOD2 models and correlations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dimenna, R.A.; Larson, J.R.; Johnson, R.W.; Larson, T.K.; Miller, C.S.; Streit, J.E.; Hanson, R.G.; Kiser, D.M.

    1988-08-01

    A review of the RELAP5/MOD2 computer code has been performed to assess the basis for the models and correlations comprising the code. The review has included verification of the original data base, including thermodynamic, thermal-hydraulic, and geothermal conditions; simplifying assumptions in implementation or application; and accuracy of implementation compared to documented descriptions of each of the models. An effort has been made to provide the reader with an understanding of what is in the code and why it is there and to provide enough information that an analyst can assess the impact of the correlation or model on the ability of the code to represent the physics of a reactor transient. Where assessment of the implemented versions of the models or correlations has been accomplished and published, the assessment results have been included

  8. Immunohistochemical investigations of xenotransplanted human adenocarcinomas on nude mice: Correlation to radioimaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matejkova, E.

    1987-01-01

    Immunohistochemical investigations of xenotransplanted human adenocarcinomas on nude mice; correlation to radioimaging Human carcinomas were subcutanously grafted to nude mice (Balb/c-nu/nu) and were investigated in four passages by immunohistochemical methods and by the fluorochrome bisbenzimid. In this way there could be observed a successful differentiation between the nourishing murine stroma and the human tumor parenchym. Especially the use of a monoclonal antibody (rat/mouse fusion) directed against human tissue turned out to be a suitable method. Four adenocarcinomas were tested: Colon-, mamma-, stomach- and testicle carcinoma. During the first four passages atypical parts of murine connective tissue and some changes in the human parenchyma could be seen. These results demonstrate that also in nude mice variations of the transplanted tumor material could happen. They could be detected in time with a routine immunohistochemical test. The consequences of tumor morphological variations for the development of therapeutic and diagnostic tools were studied with the help of radioimaging by external scintigraphy. Furthermore the biodistribution, tumoruptake and the whole body counting were studied by means of radionuclid marked monoclonal antibodies. The morphological variations of the passages of mammary, testicle and colon carcinomas were not big enough to influence the results in a certain way. Therefore especially the relation between the activity uptake in the tissue, the size of the tumor and the whole body uptake was studied in view of immunoscintigraphy. (orig./MG) [de

  9. Implementation of the Westinghouse WRB-2 CHF correlation in VIPRE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klasmier, L.K.; Haksoo Kim

    1992-01-01

    As part of the reload transient and thermal-hydraulic methods development effort within Commonwealth Edison Company (CECo), the WRB-2 critical heat flux (CHF) correlation has been implemented into the VIPRE-01 thermal-hydraulic analysis code to support Westinghouse 17X17 Vantage 5 fuel. CECo is in the process of switching from Westinghouse optimized fuel assembly (OFA) fuel to Vantage 5 fuel at CECo's six pressurized water reactors. CECo performs the neutronic portion of the reload analysis using Westinghouse's ANC/PHOENIX. The transient and thermal-hydraulic analysis will be performed using the RETRAN and VIPRE codes once the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has completed their review of CECo methodology. Previously, CECo had implemented and received NRC approval to use the Westinghouse WRB-1 CHF correlation in the VIPRE-01 code to support 15X15 and 17X17 OFA fuel designs. Since the WRB-1 CHF correlation is not applicable for 17X17 Vantage 5 fuel, it was necessary to implement the WRB-2 CHF correlation in the VIPRE code. The WRB-2 correlation was developed by Westinghouse using a database applicable to 17X17 OFA and Vantage 5 fuel and the THINC thermal-hydraulic analysis code. At CECo, the WRB-2 correlation had been implemented into VIPRE-01/MOD-02. The results produced at CECo have been statistically compared to those produced by Westinghouse. Owen's method was used to determine the VIPRE/WRB-02 thermal limit. The thermal limit for 17X17 OFA and Vantage 5 fuel use in VIPRE/WRB-2 is in excellent agreement with the value calculated by Westinghouse using THINC/WRB-2

  10. Adenosine A2b receptor promotes progression of human oral cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasama, Hiroki; Sakamoto, Yosuke; Kasamatsu, Atsushi; Okamoto, Atsushi; Koyama, Tomoyoshi; Minakawa, Yasuyuki; Ogawara, Katsunori; Yokoe, Hidetaka; Shiiba, Masashi; Tanzawa, Hideki; Uzawa, Katsuhiro

    2015-01-01

    Adenosine A2b receptor (ADORA2B) encodes an adenosine receptor that is a member of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. This integral membrane protein stimulates adenylate cyclase activity in the presence of adenosine. Little is known about the relevance of ADORA2B to human malignancy including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We aimed to characterize the expression state and function of ADORA2B in OSCC. The ADORA2B expression levels in nine OSCC-derived cells were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting analyses. Using an ADORA2B knockdown model, we assessed cellular proliferation and expression of hypoxia-inducible factor1α (HIF-1α). We examined the adenosine receptor expression profile under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions in the OSCC-derived cells. In addition to in vitro data, the clinical correlation between the ADORA2B expression levels in primary OSCCs (n = 100 patients) and the clinicopathological status by immunohistochemistry (IHC) also was evaluated. ADORA2B mRNA and protein were up-regulated significantly (p < 0.05) in seven OSCC-derived cells compared with human normal oral keratinocytes. Suppression of ADORA2B expression with shRNA significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited cellular proliferation compared with the control cells. HIF-1α also was down-regulated in ADORA2B knockdown OSCC cells. During hypoxia, ADORA2B expression was induced significantly (p < 0.05) in the mRNA and protein after 24 hours of incubation in OSCC-derived cells. IHC showed that ADORA2B expression in primary OSCCs was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than in the normal oral counterparts and that ADORA2B-positive OSCCs were correlated closely (p < 0.05) with tumoral size. Our results suggested that ADORA2B controls cellular proliferation via HIF-1α activation, indicating that ADORA2B may be a key regulator of tumoral progression in OSCCs. The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1577-2) contains

  11. 2D Vis/NIR correlation spectroscopy of cooked chicken meats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yongliang; Chen, Yud-Ren; Ozaki, Yukihiro

    2000-03-01

    Cooking of chicken meats was investigated by the generalized two-dimensional visible/near-infrared (2D Vis/NIR) correlation spectroscopy. Synchronous and asynchronous spectra in the 400-700 nm visible region suggested that the 445 and 560 nm bands be ascribed to deoxymyoglobin and oxymyoglobin, and at least one of the 475, 520, and 585 nm bands is assignable to the denatured species (metmyoglobin). The asynchronous 2D NIR correlation spectrum showed that CH bands change their spectral intensities before the OH/NH groups during the cooking process, indicating that CH fractions are easily oxidized and degraded. In addition, strong correlation peaks were observed correlating the bands in the visible and NIR spectral regions.

  12. Facilitated monocyte-macrophage uptake and tissue distribution of superparmagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arnaud Beduneau

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: We posit that the same mononuclear phagocytes (MP that serve as target cells and vehicles for a host of microbial infections can be used to improve diagnostics and drug delivery. We also theorize that physical and biological processes such as particle shape, size, coating and opsonization that affect MP clearance of debris and microbes can be harnessed to facilitate uptake of nanoparticles (NP and tissue delivery. METHODS: Monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM were used as vehicles of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO NP and immunoglobulin (IgG or albumin coated SPIO for studies of uptake and distribution. IgG coated SPIO was synthesized by covalent linkage and uptake into monocytes and MDM investigated related to size, time, temperature, concentration, and coatings. SPIO and IgG SPIO were infused intravenously into naïve mice. T(2 measures using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI were used to monitor tissue distribution in animals. RESULTS: Oxidation of dextran on the SPIO surface generated reactive aldehyde groups and permitted covalent linkage to amino groups of murine and human IgG and F(ab'(2 fragments and for Alexa Fluor(R 488 hydroxylamine to form a Schiff base. This labile intermediate was immediately reduced with sodium cyanoborohydride in order to stabilize the NP conjugate. Optical density measurements of the oxidized IgG, F(ab'(2, and/or Alexa Fluor(R 488 SPIO demonstrated approximately 50% coupling yield. IgG-SPIO was found stable at 4 degrees C for a period of 1 month during which size and polydispersity index varied little from 175 nm and 200 nm, respectively. In vitro, NP accumulated readily within monocyte and MDM cytoplasm after IgG-SPIO exposure; whereas, the uptake of native SPIO in monocytes and MDM was 10-fold less. No changes in cell viability were noted for the SPIO-containing monocytes and MDM. Cell morphology was not changed as observed by transmission electron microscopy. Compared to unconjugated

  13. Event-related brain potential correlates of human auditory sensory memory-trace formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haenschel, Corinna; Vernon, David J; Dwivedi, Prabuddh; Gruzelier, John H; Baldeweg, Torsten

    2005-11-09

    The event-related potential (ERP) component mismatch negativity (MMN) is a neural marker of human echoic memory. MMN is elicited by deviant sounds embedded in a stream of frequent standards, reflecting the deviation from an inferred memory trace of the standard stimulus. The strength of this memory trace is thought to be proportional to the number of repetitions of the standard tone, visible as the progressive enhancement of MMN with number of repetitions (MMN memory-trace effect). However, no direct ERP correlates of the formation of echoic memory traces are currently known. This study set out to investigate changes in ERPs to different numbers of repetitions of standards, delivered in a roving-stimulus paradigm in which the frequency of the standard stimulus changed randomly between stimulus trains. Normal healthy volunteers (n = 40) were engaged in two experimental conditions: during passive listening and while actively discriminating changes in tone frequency. As predicted, MMN increased with increasing number of standards. However, this MMN memory-trace effect was caused mainly by enhancement with stimulus repetition of a slow positive wave from 50 to 250 ms poststimulus in the standard ERP, which is termed here "repetition positivity" (RP). This RP was recorded from frontocentral electrodes when participants were passively listening to or actively discriminating changes in tone frequency. RP may represent a human ERP correlate of rapid and stimulus-specific adaptation, a candidate neuronal mechanism underlying sensory memory formation in the auditory cortex.

  14. Multidisciplinary team meetings in Oncology: first analysis of benefits and evaluation of activity in a Dermatology unit in France.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caudron, Anne; Chaby, Guillaume; Dadban, Ali; Andrejak, Claire; Dhaille, Florie; Bagot, Martine; Lok, Catherine

    2010-01-01

    Improving Multi-Disciplinary Meetings (MDM) is one of the 70 clauses of the French Cancer Plan of 2003-2007. The French High Authority of Health (HAS) and the National Cancer Institute (INCa) have established guidelines to standardize MDM concerning cancer care. No objective assessment of cutaneous cancer (dermato-oncology) MDM has been published yet, despite the growing numbers in the incidence of skin cancers. This study aims to analyze two of our center's MDM concerns: its decisions and its compliance with HAS guidelines. A retrospective study of all skin tumors discussed in MDM held at Amiens University Hospital between 2006-2007 analyzed epidemiological data, MDM decisions (recommendations), and their compliance. 349 MDM conclusion reports concerning 228 patients were analyzed. The cases consisted of 132 melanomas, 27 basal cell carcinomas, 19 squamous cell carcinomas, 5 Merkel cell carcinomas, 8 sarcomas, 16 cutaneous lymphomas, and 21 other tumors. 45.7% of MDM had at least 3 different specialists present. Patients were present in 49.4% of discussions. 88% of the MDMs' recommendations were implemented. More than 94% of these decisions were according to the guidelines. MDM recommendations contributed to: making 13.6% of diagnoses, 74.7% of treatment decisions, 45.6% of investigations requested, and 48.2% of long-term follow-up decisions. Treatment recommendations were: surgery in 50.6% of patients, chemotherapy in 45.0% and radiotherapy in 12.5%. The MDM's therapeutic decisions tended to follow the specialty of the referring physician; e.g. patients were likely to have surgery when referred by a surgeon, etc (p structure, all have room for improvement.

  15. Observation of a remarkable reduction of correlation effects in BaCr2As2 by ARPES.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nayak, Jayita; Filsinger, Kai; Fecher, Gerhard H; Chadov, Stanislav; Minár, Ján; Rienks, Emile D L; Büchner, Bernd; Parkin, Stuart P; Fink, Jörg; Felser, Claudia

    2017-11-21

    The superconducting phase in iron-based high-[Formula: see text] superconductors (FeSC), as in other unconventional superconductors such as the cuprates, neighbors a magnetically ordered one in the phase diagram. This proximity hints at the importance of electron correlation effects in these materials, and Hund's exchange interaction has been suggested to be the dominant correlation effect in FeSCs because of their multiband nature. By this reasoning, correlation should be strongest for materials closest to a half-filled [Formula: see text] electron shell (Mn compounds, hole-doped FeSCs) and decrease for systems with both higher (electron-doped FeSCs) and lower (Cr-pnictides) [Formula: see text] counts. Here we address the strength of correlation effects in nonsuperconducting antiferromagnetic BaCr 2 As 2 by means of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and first-principles calculations. This combination provides us with two handles on the strength of correlation: First, a comparison of the experimental and calculated effective masses yields the correlation-induced mass renormalization. In addition, the lifetime broadening of the experimentally observed dispersions provides another measure of the correlation strength. Both approaches reveal a reduction of electron correlation in BaCr 2 As 2 with respect to systems with a [Formula: see text] count closer to five. Our results thereby support the theoretical predictions that Hund's exchange interaction is important in these materials.

  16. Neuron-Enriched Gene Expression Patterns are Regionally Anti-Correlated with Oligodendrocyte-Enriched Patterns in the Adult Mouse and Human Brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Powell Patrick Cheng; French, Leon; Pavlidis, Paul

    2013-01-01

    An important goal in neuroscience is to understand gene expression patterns in the brain. The recent availability of comprehensive and detailed expression atlases for mouse and human creates opportunities to discover global patterns and perform cross-species comparisons. Recently we reported that the major source of variation in gene transcript expression in the adult normal mouse brain can be parsimoniously explained as reflecting regional variation in glia to neuron ratios, and is correlated with degree of connectivity and location in the brain along the anterior-posterior axis. Here we extend this investigation to two gene expression assays of adult normal human brains that consisted of over 300 brain region samples, and perform comparative analyses of brain-wide expression patterns to the mouse. We performed principal components analysis (PCA) on the regional gene expression of the adult human brain to identify the expression pattern that has the largest variance. As in the mouse, we observed that the first principal component is composed of two anti-correlated patterns enriched in oligodendrocyte and neuron markers respectively. However, we also observed interesting discordant patterns between the two species. For example, a few mouse neuron markers show expression patterns that are more correlated with the human oligodendrocyte-enriched pattern and vice-versa. In conclusion, our work provides insights into human brain function and evolution by probing global relationships between regional cell type marker expression patterns in the human and mouse brain.

  17. L2 Reading Comprehension and Its Correlates: A Meta-Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeon, Eun Hee; Yamashita, Junko

    2014-01-01

    The present meta-analysis examined the overall average correlation (weighted for sample size and corrected for measurement error) between passage-level second language (L2) reading comprehension and 10 key reading component variables investigated in the research domain. Four high-evidence correlates (with 18 or more accumulated effect sizes: L2

  18. In vitro radiosensitivity of primary human fibroblasts. Lack of correlation with acute radiation toxicity in patients with head and neck cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rudat, Volker; Dietz, Andreas; Conradt, Christian; Weber, Klaus-Josef; Flentje, Michael

    1997-01-01

    Background and purpose: There is a considerable hope among clinicians and radiobiologists to detect genetically radiosensitive patients prior to radiotherapy. A predictive assay would enable adjustment of the total irradiation dose to the individual at a constant risk of normal tissue complications. In this prospective study, the clonogenic survival assay for primary human fibroblasts to determine radiosensitivity in vitro was evaluated and then correlated with clinically observed acute radiation reactions. Materials and methods: One hundred twenty-five independent survival experiments with primary fibroblasts derived from 63 biopsies from 55 cancer and non-cancer patients were performed. Results: A wide variation of cell survival between biopsies was detected. Statistical analysis revealed a highly significantly larger interindividual than intraindividual variation of SF2 values. However, a considerable scatter of SF2 values in repeated experiments was observed in individual cases. Age, gender, disease status (cancer patient, non-cancer patient) and origin of fibroblasts (skin, periodontal tissue) were demonstrated not to be statistically significant confounding factors on the intrinsic radiosensitivity in vitro. In a prospective study, no correlation of the SF2 and acute reactions in 25 patients with head and neck cancer treated with a primary accelerated radiochemotherapy was detected. Conclusion: Our data show that the clonogenic assay is able to distinguish between intrinsic radiosensitivities of primary human fibroblasts if a statistical approach is used but does not predict acute radiation toxicity

  19. Parathyroid hormone related protein concentration in human serum and CSF correlates with age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kushnir, Mark M; Peterson, Lisa K; Strathmann, Frederick G

    2018-02-01

    Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein (PTHrP) is involved in intracellular calcium (Ca) regulation, and has been demonstrated to participate in regulation of Ca in brain cells, activation of neurons, and modulation of pain. However, there are conflicting reports regarding the presence of PTHrP in CSF. PTHrP and Ca were quantified in paired CSF and serum samples using mass spectrometry-based methods. Associations between PTHrP and Ca concentrations with age, sex and concentrations of nine CSF diagnostic markers in a set of 140 paired serum and CSF patient samples were evaluated. The observed median PTHrP concentration in CSF was 51 times higher than in serum; the median concentration of Ca in CSF was 1.8 times lower than in serum. We observed positive correlation between concentrations of PTHrP in CSF and serum (p=0.013). Distribution of PTHrP concentrations in serum was associated with age (p=0.0068) and the concentrations were higher in women. In samples with serum calcium concentrations within the reference intervals (n=118), central 95% distribution of concentrations for Ca-CSF, PTHrP-serum and PTHrP-CSF were 5.4 (4.5-6.1) mg/dL, 1.2 (0.5-2.5) pmol/L, 62 (22-125) pmol/L, respectively. Our data demonstrate that PTHrP is a normal constituent of human CSF with median concentrations 51 fold higher than in serum. Elevated serum PTHrP concentrations were positively correlated with age and significantly higher in women. Our data suggest that CSF could be a significant source of circulating PTHrP. Copyright © 2017 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Bose-Einstein correlations in W+ W- events at LEP2

    CERN Document Server

    van Dalen, Jorn A

    2000-01-01

    Analyses of Bose-Einstein Correlations in w+w- events at LEP2 by the four LEP collaborations are presented. In particular, Bose-Einstein correlations in w+w- overlap are investigated and the possible existence of these correlations between particles coming from different W's, which may influence the W mass measurements in the fully-hadronic channel e+e- --+ w+w- --+ qiihq3ij<. No evidence for such an inter-W Bose-Einstein correlation is found by L3 and ALEPH. Possible indication of these correlations by DELPHI is mentioned.

  1. Does correlated color temperature affect the ability of humans to identify veins?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Argyraki, Aikaterini; Clemmensen, Line Katrine Harder; Petersen, Paul Michael

    2016-01-01

    In the present study we provide empirical evidence and demonstrate statistically that white illumination settings can affect the human ability to identify veins in the inner hand vasculature. A special light-emitting diode lamp with high color rendering index (CRI 84–95) was developed and the eff......In the present study we provide empirical evidence and demonstrate statistically that white illumination settings can affect the human ability to identify veins in the inner hand vasculature. A special light-emitting diode lamp with high color rendering index (CRI 84–95) was developed...... and the effect of correlated color temperature was evaluated, in the range between 2600 and 5700 K at an illuminance of 40 9 lx on the ability of adult humans to identify veins. It is shown that the ability to identify veins can, on average, be increased up to 24% when white illumination settings that do...... not resemble incandescent light are applied. The illuminance reported together with the effect of white illumination settings on direct visual perception of biosamples are relevant for clinical investigations during the night. © 2015 Optical Society of America...

  2. Measuring patchy reionization with kSZ2-21 cm correlations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Q.; Helgason, K.; Komatsu, E.; Ciardi, B.; Ferrara, A.

    2018-05-01

    We study cross-correlations of the kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (kSZ) and 21 cm signals during the epoch of reionization (EoR) to measure the effects of patchy reionisation. Since the kSZ effect is proportional to the line-of-sight velocity, the kSZ-21 cm cross correlation suffers from cancellation at small angular scales. We thus focus on the correlation between the kSZ-squared field (kSZ2) and 21 cm signals. When the global ionization fraction is low (xe ≲ 0.7), the kSZ2 fluctuation is dominated by rare ionized bubbles, which leads to an anticorrelation with the 21 cm signal. When 0.8 ≲ xe primary cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy. The expected signal-to-noise ratios for a ˜10-h integration of upcoming Square Kilometre Array data cross-correlated with maps from the current generation of CMB observatories with 3.4μK arcmin noise and 1.7 arcmin beam over 100 deg2 are 51, 60, and 37 for xe = 0.2, 0.5, and 0.9, respectively.

  3. Low MBL-associated serine protease 2 (MASP-2) levels correlate with urogenital schistosomiasis in Nigerian children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ojurongbe, Olusola; Antony, Justin S; Van Tong, Hoang; Meyer, Christian G; Akindele, Akeem A; Sina-Agbaje, Olawumi R; Kremsner, Peter G; Velavan, Thirumalaisamy P

    2015-10-01

    The human mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and ficolins (FCN) are involved in pathogen recognition in the first line of defence. They support activation of the complement lectin cascade in the presence of MBL-associated serine protease 2 (MASP-2), a protein that cleaves the C4 and C2 complement components. Recent studies found that distinct MBL2 and FCN2 promoter variants and their corresponding serum levels are associated with relative protection from urogenital schistosomiasis. We investigated the contribution of MASP-2 levels and MASP2 polymorphisms in a Nigerian study group, of 163 individuals infected with Schistosoma haematobium and 183 healthy subjects. MASP-2 serum levels varied between younger children (≤12 years) and older children (>12 years) and adults (P = 0.0001). Younger children with a patent infection had significantly lower MASP-2 serum levels than uninfected children (P = 0.0074). Older children and adults (>12 years) with a current infection had higher serum MASP-2 levels than controls (P = 0.032). MBL serum levels correlated positively with MASP-2 serum levels (P = 0.01). MASP2 secretor haplotypes were associated with MASP-2 serum levels in healthy subjects. The heterozygous MASP2 p.P126L variant was associated with reduced serum MASP-2 levels (P = 0.01). The findings indicate that higher MASP-2 serum levels are associated with relative protection from urogenital schistosomiasis in Nigerian children. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. The willingness and actual situation of Chinese cancer patients and their family members participating in medical decision-making.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jie; Yang, Dan; Deng, Yaotiao; Wang, Ying; Deng, Lei; Luo, Xinmei; Zhong, Wuning; Liu, Jie; Wang, Yuqing; Jiang, Yu

    2015-12-01

    In China, not only patients and physicians are involved in medical decision-making (MDM) but also the patients' family members. The objective is to investigate the willingness and actual situation of cancer patients and their family members participating in the MDM process. In this cross-sectional study, questionnaires were administered to 247 pairs of cancer inpatients and their relatives. Information regarding participants' willingness and actual experience during the decision-making process was documented. Eligible participants were cancer inpatients or their relatives, 18 years of age or older, and informed of the cancer diagnosis. All the patients should have received chemotherapy. The effective response rate was 72.9% (180/247). Over half of the patients (53.3%) and family members (57.8%) were willing to be part of the MDM process. In contrast, only 35.0% of patients and 46.1% of family members actually experienced this process (p = 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively). Fewer family members (42.2%) than patients (53.3%) believed that patients should be involved in the MDM process (p family (odds ratio 2.577, 95% CI 1.198-5.556, p = 0.015) experienced more involvement in MDM. Although more than half of Chinese cancer patients and family members wanted to be part of MDM, the actual participation was below their expectation. Majority of family members do not want the patients to be involved in the process of MDM. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. KDM2B overexpression correlates with poor prognosis and regulates glioma cell growth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Y

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Yiwei Wang,1 Jin Zang,1 Dongyong Zhang,2 Zhenxiang Sun,1 Bo Qiu,2 Xiaojie Wang1 1Department of Human Anatomy, Shenyang Medical College, Huanggu District, Shenyang City, 2Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Heping District, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, ChinaBackground: Gliomas are one of the most lethal cancers in the human central nervous system. Despite clinical treatment advancements, the prognosis of patients with glioma remains poor. KDM2B is a histone lysine demethylase, which has been observed in multiple tumors. But the concrete role of KDM2B in gliomas remains to be further illustrated.Methods: The KDM2B expression in gliomas was detected with immunohistochemistry and Western blot assay. Furthermore, knockdown of KDM2B in U87 and U251 glioma cell lines, the proliferation capacity was evaluated by cell viability assay, colon formation assay and flow cytometry in vitro. Western blot assay was used to analyze the p21, EZH2 and cyclinD1 changes followed by knockdown of KDM2B.Results: KDM2B was upregulated in tissues of glioma patients, and the expression was correlated to cancer progression. Downregulation of KDM2B in U87 and U251 glioma cell lines inhibited cell proliferation and arrested cell cycle in G0/G1 phase. In addition, silencing KDM2B promoted the upregulation of p21 while reduced the expression of EZH2 and cyclinD1.Conclusion: Taken together, our results revealed that KDM2B might influence gliomas growth and act as a novel therapeutic target for glioma patients.Keywords: EZH2, glioma, KDM2B, P21

  6. F-box protein FBXO31 is a dedicated checkpoint protein to facilitate cell cycle arrest through activation of regulators in radiation induced DNA damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santra, Manas Kumar

    2017-01-01

    In response to radiation-induced DNA damage, eukaryotic cells initiate a complex signalling pathway, termed the DNA damage response (DDR), which coordinates cell cycle arrest with DNA repair. Previous study showed that induction of G1 arrest in response to radiation induced DNA damage is minimally a two-step process: a fast p53-independent initiation of G1 arrest mediated by cyclin D1 proteolysis and a slower maintenance of arrest resulting from increased p53 stability. We elucidated the molecular mechanism of slow and fast response of radiation induced DDR. We showed that FBXO31, a member of F-box family proteins, plays important role in DDR induced by ionizing radiation. We show that FBXO31 is responsible for promoting MDM2 degradation following radiation. FBXO31 interacts with and directs the degradation of MDM2 in ATM dependent phosphorylation of MDM2. FBXO31-mediated loss of MDM2 leads to elevated levels of p53, resulting in growth arrest. In cells depleted of FBXO31, MDM2 is not degraded and p53 levels do not increase following genotoxic stress. Thus, FBXO31 is essential for the classic robust increase in p53 levels following DNA damage

  7. Comparison of BIASI and Columbia CHF correlations using BODYFIT-2PE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, B.C.J.; Chien, T.H.; Sha, W.T.; Kim, J.H.

    1984-01-01

    This paper compares the BIASI critical heat flux (CHF) correlation with the Columbia CHF correlation by using both the homogeneous equilibrium two-phase model with algebraic slip and the drift flux model in BODYFIT-2PE. All calculations were compared with the GE 3 x 3 CHF experiment. This comparison serves as a qualification process for the CHF correlations in the framework of BODYFIT-2PE

  8. The Neural Correlates of Chronic Symptoms of Vertigo Proneness in Humans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ola Alsalman

    Full Text Available Vestibular signals are of significant importance for variable functions including gaze stabilization, spatial perception, navigation, cognition, and bodily self-consciousness. The vestibular network governs functions that might be impaired in patients affected with vestibular dysfunction. It is currently unclear how different brain regions/networks process vestibular information and integrate the information into a unified spatial percept related to somatosensory awareness and whether people with recurrent balance complaints have a neural signature as a trait affecting their development of chronic symptoms of vertigo. Pivotal evidence points to a vestibular-related brain network in humans that is widely distributed in nature. By using resting state source localized electroencephalography in non-vertiginous state, electrophysiological changes in activity and functional connectivity of 23 patients with balance complaints where chronic symptoms of vertigo and dizziness are among the most common reported complaints are analyzed and compared to healthy subjects. The analyses showed increased alpha2 activity within the posterior cingulate cortex and the precuneues/cuneus and reduced beta3 and gamma activity within the pregenual and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex for the subjects with balance complaints. These electrophysiological variations were correlated with reported chronic symptoms of vertigo intensity. A region of interest analysis found reduced functional connectivity for gamma activity within the vestibular cortex, precuneus, frontal eye field, intra-parietal sulcus, orbitofrontal cortex, and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. In addition, there was a positive correlation between chronic symptoms of vertigo intensity and increased alpha-gamma nesting in the left frontal eye field. When compared to healthy subjects, there is evidence of electrophysiological changes in the brain of patients with balance complaints even outside chronic

  9. The Neural Correlates of Chronic Symptoms of Vertigo Proneness in Humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alsalman, Ola; Ost, Jan; Vanspauwen, Robby; Blaivie, Catherine; De Ridder, Dirk; Vanneste, Sven

    2016-01-01

    Vestibular signals are of significant importance for variable functions including gaze stabilization, spatial perception, navigation, cognition, and bodily self-consciousness. The vestibular network governs functions that might be impaired in patients affected with vestibular dysfunction. It is currently unclear how different brain regions/networks process vestibular information and integrate the information into a unified spatial percept related to somatosensory awareness and whether people with recurrent balance complaints have a neural signature as a trait affecting their development of chronic symptoms of vertigo. Pivotal evidence points to a vestibular-related brain network in humans that is widely distributed in nature. By using resting state source localized electroencephalography in non-vertiginous state, electrophysiological changes in activity and functional connectivity of 23 patients with balance complaints where chronic symptoms of vertigo and dizziness are among the most common reported complaints are analyzed and compared to healthy subjects. The analyses showed increased alpha2 activity within the posterior cingulate cortex and the precuneues/cuneus and reduced beta3 and gamma activity within the pregenual and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex for the subjects with balance complaints. These electrophysiological variations were correlated with reported chronic symptoms of vertigo intensity. A region of interest analysis found reduced functional connectivity for gamma activity within the vestibular cortex, precuneus, frontal eye field, intra-parietal sulcus, orbitofrontal cortex, and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. In addition, there was a positive correlation between chronic symptoms of vertigo intensity and increased alpha-gamma nesting in the left frontal eye field. When compared to healthy subjects, there is evidence of electrophysiological changes in the brain of patients with balance complaints even outside chronic symptoms of vertigo

  10. Non-thermal production of minimal dark matter via right-handed neutrino decay

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aoki, Mayumi [Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kanazawa University,Kanazawa 920-1192 (Japan); Toma, Takashi [Laboratoire de Physique Théorique, CNRS - UMR 8627, Université de Paris-Sud 11,F-91405 Orsay Cedex (France); Vicente, Avelino [IFPA, Dep. AGO, Université de Liège,Bat B5, Sart-Tilman B-4000 Liège 1 (Belgium); Instituto de Física Corpuscular, CSIC-Universitat de València,Apdo. 22085, E-46071 Valencia (Spain)

    2015-09-29

    Minimal Dark Matter (MDM) stands as one of the simplest dark matter scenarios. In MDM models, annihilation and co-annihilation processes among the members of the MDM multiplet are usually very efficient, pushing the dark matter mass above O(10) TeV in order to reproduce the observed dark matter relic density. Motivated by this little drawback, in this paper we consider an extension of the MDM scenario by three right-handed neutrinos. Two specific choices for the MDM multiplet are studied: a fermionic SU(2){sub L} quintuplet and a scalar SU(2){sub L} septuplet. The lightest right-handed neutrino, with tiny Yukawa couplings, never reaches thermal equilibrium in the early universe and is produced by freeze-in. This creates a link between dark matter and neutrino physics: dark matter can be non-thermally produced by the decay of the lightest right-handed neutrino after freeze-out, allowing to lower significantly the dark matter mass. We discuss the phenomenology of the non-thermally produced MDM and, taking into account significant Sommerfeld corrections, we find that the dark matter mass must have some specific values in order not to be in conflict with the current bounds from gamma-ray observations.

  11. Non-thermal production of minimal dark matter via right-handed neutrino decay

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aoki, Mayumi [Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192 (Japan); Toma, Takashi [Laboratoire de Physique Théorique, CNRS - UMR 8627, Université de Paris-Sud 11, F-91405 Orsay Cedex (France); Vicente, Avelino, E-mail: mayumi@hep.s.kanazawa-u.ac.jp, E-mail: takashi.toma@th.u-psud.fr, E-mail: Avelino.Vicente@ulg.ac.be [IFPA, Dep. AGO, Université de Liège, Bat B5, Sart-Tilman B-4000 Liège 1 (Belgium)

    2015-09-01

    Minimal Dark Matter (MDM) stands as one of the simplest dark matter scenarios. In MDM models, annihilation and co-annihilation processes among the members of the MDM multiplet are usually very efficient, pushing the dark matter mass above O(10) TeV in order to reproduce the observed dark matter relic density. Motivated by this little drawback, in this paper we consider an extension of the MDM scenario by three right-handed neutrinos. Two specific choices for the MDM multiplet are studied: a fermionic SU(2){sub L} quintuplet and a scalar SU(2){sub L} septuplet. The lightest right-handed neutrino, with tiny Yukawa couplings, never reaches thermal equilibrium in the early universe and is produced by freeze-in. This creates a link between dark matter and neutrino physics: dark matter can be non-thermally produced by the decay of the lightest right-handed neutrino after freeze-out, allowing to lower significantly the dark matter mass. We discuss the phenomenology of the non-thermally produced MDM and, taking into account significant Sommerfeld corrections, we find that the dark matter mass must have some specific values in order not to be in conflict with the current bounds from gamma-ray observations.

  12. Diminished Adherence and/or Ingestion of Virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis by Monocyte-Derived Macrophages from Patients with Tuberculosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zabaleta, J.; Arias, M.; Maya, J. R.; García, L. F.

    1998-01-01

    The interaction between the macrophage and Mycobacterium tuberculosis is mediated by a variety of macrophage membrane-associated proteins. Complement receptors have been implicated in the adherence of M. tuberculosis to macrophages. In the present work, the adherence and/or ingestion of M. tuberculosis H37Rv to human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) from patients with tuberculosis (TB) and healthy controls was measured by microscopical examination, [3H]uracil incorporation, and CFU. The adherence and/or ingestion was enhanced by fresh serum and inhibited by heat inactivation, EDTA treatment, and anti-CR1 and anti-CR3 antibodies. Comparison of MDM from TB patients and healthy controls showed that the former exhibited a significantly decreased capacity to adhere and/or ingest M. tuberculosis, as determined by the number of CFU and 3H incorporation. The expression of CR1 (CD35) and CR3 (CD11b/CD18) on MDM from TB patients and healthy controls, as determined by flow cytometry, did not show significant differences. These results suggest that the lower ingestion of M. tuberculosis by MDM from TB patients is not due to defects in complement receptors, and therefore, there might be other molecules involved in the adherence and/or ingestion process that render MDM from TB patients ingest less mycobacteria than those from healthy controls. PMID:9729537

  13. The negative ultraslow potential, electrophysiological correlate of infarction in the human cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lückl, Janos; Lemale, Coline L; Kola, Vasilis; Horst, Viktor; Khojasteh, Uldus; Oliveira-Ferreira, Ana I; Major, Sebastian; Winkler, Maren K L; Kang, Eun-Jeung; Schoknecht, Karl; Martus, Peter; Hartings, Jed A; Woitzik, Johannes; Dreier, Jens P

    2018-06-01

    shift of spreading depolarizations in less compromised tissue. Using Generalized Estimating Equations applied to a logistic regression model, we found that negative ultraslow potential displaying electrodes were significantly more likely to overlie a developing ischaemic lesion (90.0%, 27/30) than those not displaying a negative ultraslow potential (0.0%, 0/20) (P = 0.004). Based on serial neuroimages, the lesions under the electrodes developed within a time window of 72 (56, 134) h. The negative ultraslow potential occurred in this time window in 9/10 patients. It was often preceded by a spreading depolarization cluster with increasingly persistent spreading depressions and progressively prolonged DC shifts and spreading ischaemias. During the negative ultraslow potential, spreading ischaemia lasted for 40.0 (28.0, 76.5) min, cerebral blood flow fell from 57 (53, 65) % to 26 (16, 42) % (n = 4) and tissue partial pressure of oxygen from 12.5 (9.2, 15.2) to 3.3 (2.4, 7.4) mmHg (n = 5). Our data suggest that the negative ultraslow potential is the electrophysiological correlate of infarction in human cerebral cortex and a neuromonitoring-detected medical emergency.awy102media15775596049001.

  14. Increased bioactive lipids content in human subcutaneous and epicardial fat tissue correlates with insulin resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Błachnio-Zabielska, Agnieszka U; Baranowski, Marcin; Hirnle, Tomasz; Zabielski, Piotr; Lewczuk, Anna; Dmitruk, Iwona; Górski, Jan

    2012-12-01

    Obesity is a risk factor for metabolic diseases. Intramuscular lipid accumulation of ceramides, diacylglycerols, and long chain acyl-CoA is responsible for the induction of insulin resistance. These lipids are probably implicated in obesity-associated insulin resistance not only in skeletal muscle but also in fat tissue. Only few data are available about ceramide content in human subcutaneous adipose tissue. However, there are no data on DAG and LCACoA content in adipose tissue. The aim of our study was to measure the lipids content in human SAT and epicardial adipose tissue we sought to determine the bioactive lipids content by LC/MS/MS in fat tissue from lean non-diabetic, obese non-diabetic, and obese diabetic subjects and test whether the lipids correlate with HOMA-IR. We found, that total content of measured lipids was markedly higher in OND and OD subjects in both types of fat tissue (for all p lipids content is greater in subcutaneous and epicardial fat tissue and the particular lipids content positively correlates with HOMA-IR.

  15. 1/2-BPS correlators as c = 1 S-matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jevicki, Antal; Yoneya, Tamiaki

    2007-01-01

    We argue from two complementary viewpoints of Holography that the 2-point correlation functions of 1/2-BPS multi-trace operators in the large-N (planar) limit are nothing but the (Wick-rotated) S-matrix elements of c = 1 matrix model. On the bulk side, we consider an Euclideanized version of the so-called bubbling geometries and show that the corresponding droplets reach the conformal boundary. Then the scattering matrix of fluctuations of the droplets gives directly the two-point correlators through the GKPW prescription. On the Yang-Mills side, we show that the two-point correlators of holomorphic and anti-holomorphic operators are essentially equivalent with the transformation functions between asymptotic in- and out-states of c = 1 matrix model. Extension to non-planar case is also discussed

  16. Simultaneous acquisition for T2 -T2 Exchange and T1 -T2 correlation NMR experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montrazi, Elton T.; Lucas-Oliveira, Everton; Araujo-Ferreira, Arthur G.; Barsi-Andreeta, Mariane; Bonagamba, Tito J.

    2018-04-01

    The NMR measurements of longitudinal and transverse relaxation times and its multidimensional correlations provide useful information about molecular dynamics. However, these experiments are very time-consuming, and many researchers proposed faster experiments to reduce this issue. This paper presents a new way to simultaneously perform T2 -T2 Exchange and T1 -T2 correlation experiments by taking the advantage of the storage time and the two steps phase cycling used for running the relaxation exchange experiment. The data corresponding to each step is either summed or subtracted to produce the T2 -T2 and T1 -T2 data, enhancing the information obtained while maintaining the experiment duration. Comparing the results from this technique with traditional NMR experiments it was possible to validate the method.

  17. Interleukin-4 receptor alpha overexpression in human bladder cancer correlates with the pathological grade and stage of the disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joshi, Bharat H; Leland, Pamela; Lababidi, Samir; Varrichio, Frederick; Puri, Raj K

    2014-01-01

    Previously, we have demonstrated that interleukin-4 receptor α (IL-4Rα) is overexpressed on a variety of human cancers and can serve as target for IL-4 immunotoxin comprised of IL-4 and a mutated Pseudomonas exotoxin. However, its expression and association with grade and clinical stage of bladder cancer has not been studied. IL-4Rα expression was examined in human bladder cancer cell lines, mouse xenografts, and biopsy specimens at mRNA and protein levels by real-time RT-PCR and IHC/ISH techniques. We also examined the effect of IL-4 on proliferation and invasion of bladder carcinoma cell lines. For tissue microarray (TMA) results, we analyzed the precision data using exact binomial proportion with exact two-sided P-values. We used Cochran–Armitage Statistics with exact two-sided P-values to examine the trend analysis of IL-4Rα over grade or stage of the bladder cancer specimens. The influence of age and gender covariates was also analyzed using multiple logistic regression models. IL-4Rα is overexpressed in five bladder cancer cell lines, while normal bladder and human umbilical vein cell lines (HUVEC) expressed at low levels. Two other chains of IL-4 receptor complex, IL-2RγC and IL-13Rα1, were absent or weakly expressed. IL-4 modestly inhibited the cell proliferation, but enhanced cell invasion of bladder cancer cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner. Bladder cancer xenografts in immunodeficient mice also maintained IL-4Rα overexpression in vivo. Analysis of tumor biopsy specimens in TMAs revealed significantly higher IL-4Rα immunostaining (≥2+) in Grade 2 (85%) and Grade 3 (97%) compared to Grade 1 tumors (0%) (P ≤ 0.0001). Similarly, 9% stage I tumors were positive for IL-4Rα (≥2+) compared to 84% stage II (P ≤ 0.0001) and 100% stages III–IV tumors (P ≤ 0.0001). IL-13Rα1 was also expressed in tumor tissues but at low levels and it did not show any correlation with the grade and stage of disease. However, the IL-2RγC was not

  18. NF-κB and androgen receptor variant expression correlate with human BPH progression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Austin, David C; Strand, Douglas W; Love, Harold L; Franco, Omar E; Jang, Alex; Grabowska, Magdalena M; Miller, Nicole L; Hameed, Omar; Clark, Peter E; Fowke, Jay H; Matusik, Robert J; Jin, Ren J; Hayward, Simon W

    2016-04-01

    Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common, chronic progressive disease. Inflammation is associated with prostatic enlargement and resistance to 5α-reductase inhibitor (5ARI) therapy. Activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway is linked to both inflammation and ligand-independent prostate cancer progression. NF-κB activation and androgen receptor variant (AR-V) expression were quantified in transition zone tissue samples from patients with a wide range of AUASS from incidental BPH in patients treated for low grade, localized peripheral zone prostate cancer to advanced disease requiring surgical intervention. To further investigate these pathways, human prostatic stromal and epithelial cell lines were transduced with constitutively active or kinase dead forms of IKK2 to regulate canonical NF-κB activity. The effects on AR full length (AR-FL) and androgen-independent AR-V expression as well as cellular growth and differentiation were assessed. Canonical NF-κB signaling was found to be upregulated in late versus early stage BPH, and to be strongly associated with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Elevated expression of AR-variant 7 (AR-V7), but not other AR variants, was found in advanced BPH samples. Expression of AR-V7 significantly correlated with the patient AUASS and TRUS volume. Forced activation of canonical NF-κB in human prostatic epithelial and stromal cells resulted in elevated expression of both AR-FL and AR-V7, with concomitant ligand-independent activation of AR reporters. Activation of NF-κB and over expression of AR-V7 in human prostatic epithelial cells maintained cell viability in the face of 5ARI treatment. Activation of NF-κB and AR-V7 in the prostate is associated with increased disease severity. AR-V7 expression is inducible in human prostate cells by forced activation of NF-κB resulting in resistance to 5ARI treatment, suggesting a potential mechanism by which patients may become resistant to 5ARI therapy.

  19. Myocardial pre-synaptic sympathetic function correlates with glucose uptake in the failing human heart

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mongillo, Marco; Leccisotti, Lucia [Hammersmith Hospital, Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London (United Kingdom); John, Anna S. [Hammersmith Hospital, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London (United Kingdom); Pennell, Dudley J. [Royal Brompton Hospital, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London (United Kingdom); Camici, Paolo G. [Hammersmith Hospital, Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London (United Kingdom); Hammersmith Hospital, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London (United Kingdom)

    2007-08-15

    We have previously shown that the myocardium of patients with heart failure (HF) is insulin resistant. Chronic {beta}-adrenergic stimulation has been implicated in insulin resistance in cultured cardiomyocytes in vitro, where sustained noradrenaline stimulation inhibited insulin-modulated glucose uptake. As the failing heart is characterized by increased sympathetic drive, we hypothesized that there is a correlation between pre-synaptic sympathetic function and insulin sensitivity in the myocardium of patients with HF. Eight patients (aged 67 {+-} 7 years) with coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction 44 {+-} 10%) underwent function and viability assessment with cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Myocardial glucose utilization (MGU) was measured using positron emission tomography (PET) with {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Pre-synaptic noradrenaline re-uptake was measured by calculating [{sup 11}C]meta-hydroxy-ephedrine (HED) volume of distribution (V{sub d}) with PET. Two groups of healthy volunteers served as controls for the FDG (n = 8, aged 52 {+-} 4 years, p < 0.01 vs patients) and HED (n = 8, aged 40 {+-} 6 years, p < 0.01 vs patients) data. MGU in patients was reduced in both normal remote (0.44 {+-} 0.14 {mu}mol.min{sup -1}.g{sup -1}) and dysfunctional (0.49 {+-} 0.14 {mu}mol.min{sup -1}.g{sup -1}) segments compared with controls (0.61 {+-} 0.7 {mu}mol.min{sup -1}.g{sup -1}; p < 0.001 vs both). HED V{sub d} was reduced in dysfunctional segments of patients (38.9 {+-} 21.2 ml.g{sup -1}) compared with normal segments (52.2 {+-} 19.6 ml.g{sup -1}) and compared with controls (62.7 {+-} 11.3 ml.g{sup -1}). In patients, regional MGU was correlated with HED V{sub d}. The results of this study provide novel evidence of a correlation between cardiac sympathetic function and insulin sensitivity, which may represent one of the mechanisms contributing to insulin resistance in failing human hearts. (orig.)

  20. Similar substrate specificity of cynomolgus monkey cytochrome P450 2C19 to reported human P450 2C counterpart enzymes by evaluation of 89 drug clearances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosaka, Shinya; Murayama, Norie; Satsukawa, Masahiro; Uehara, Shotaro; Shimizu, Makiko; Iwasaki, Kazuhide; Iwano, Shunsuke; Uno, Yasuhiro; Yamazaki, Hiroshi

    2015-12-01

    Cynomolgus monkeys are used widely in preclinical studies as non-human primate species. The amino acid sequence of cynomolgus monkey cytochrome P450 (P450 or CYP) 2C19 is reportedly highly correlated to that of human CYP2C19 (92%) and CYP2C9 (93%). In the present study, 89 commercially available compounds were screened to find potential substrates for cynomolgus monkey CYP2C19. Of 89 drugs, 34 were metabolically depleted by cynomolgus monkey CYP2C19 with relatively high rates. Among them, 30 compounds have been reported as substrates or inhibitors of, either or both, human CYP2C19 and CYP2C9. Several compounds, including loratadine, showed high selectivity to cynomolgus monkey CYP2C19, and all of these have been reported as human CYP2C19 and/or CYP2C9 substrates. In addition, cynomolgus monkey CYP2C19 formed the same loratadine metabolite as human CYP2C19, descarboethoxyloratadine. These results suggest that cynomolgus monkey CYP2C19 is generally similar to human CYP2C19 and CYP2C9 in its substrate recognition functionality. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Measuring transverse spin correlations 4-particle correlations in e+e-→2 jets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Artru, X.; Collins, J.

    1995-04-01

    The azimuthal distribution of pairs of particles in a jet is sensitive to the transverse polarization of the quark initiating the jet, but with a sensitivity that involves a nonperturbative analyzing power. We show in detail how to measure the analyzing power from 4-hadron correlations in e + e - → 2 jets. We explain the combination of particle flavor that are likely to give the biggest effect. (authors). 19 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

  2. [Study on correlation of glucagons, type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose regulation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Tao; Shi, Me; Qiu, Yun-Xia; Wang, Yan-Gang

    2014-06-01

    To analyze the changes of patients with type 2 diabetes in different stages in glucagon (GC) and free fatty acid (FFA) in fasting, OGT and L-Arg experiments, and discusses the role of pancreatic alphabeta cells in diabetes pathogenesis by studying the relations among indexes such as glucagon (GC), free fatty acid (FFA) and blood glucose (BG), insulin, insulin homeostasis model (HOMA) and glucose metabolism hormone secretion curve, in order to provide theoretical basis for the treatment of diabetes. Study objects were divided into the T2DM group (45 cases), the IGT group (28 cases) and the NGT group (30 cases) for an OGTT experiment and then an L-Arg experiment on the next day. Under the fasting state, their blood glucose (FBG), insulin (F), glucagon (FGC), free fatty acid (FFA) were detected to calculate HOMA-beta, insulin sensitivity index (ISI) and HOMA-IR of different groups. Meanwhile, efforts were made to calculate different time quantum detected in OGTT and L-Arg experiments and area under the curve AUC(BG), AUC(INS) and AUC(GC). Obvious overall differences were observed in FFA and FGC of the three groups. FGC of each group was negatively correlated with HOMA-beta and ISI. Among all of the 103 study objects, FGC was positively correlated with FBG and HOMA-IR and negatively correlated with HOMA-beta and ISI, with no correlation with FINS; FFA was positively correlated with FBG, HOMA-IR and negatively correlated with FINS, HOMA-beta, ISI. FGC and FFA were positively correlated in the T2DM group and the IGT group, but with no statistical correlation in the NGT group. The sequence of the three study objects was T2DM > IGR > NGT in AUC(GC) in the OGTT experiment and T2DM > IGR > NGT in in AUC(GC) in the L-Arg experiment, with the significant positive correlation between AUC(GC) and AUC(BG) and significant negative correlation with AUC(INS). Glucagon and free fatty acid of T2DM and IGT patients increased, which was positively correlated with blood glucose and HOMA

  3. DDX3X Biomarker Correlates with Poor Survival in Human Gliomas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dueng-Yuan Hueng

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Primary high-grade gliomas possess invasive growth and lead to unfavorable survival outcome. The investigation of biomarkers for prediction of survival outcome in patients with gliomas is important for clinical assessment. The DEAD (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp box helicase 3, X-linked (DDX3X controls tumor migration, proliferation, and progression. However, the role of DDX3X in defining the pathological grading and survival outcome in patients with human gliomas is not yet clarified. We analyzed the DDX3X gene expression, WHO pathological grading, and overall survival from de-linked data. Further validation was done using quantitative RT-PCR of cDNA from normal brain and glioma, and immunohistochemical (IHC staining of tissue microarray. Statistical analysis of GEO datasets showed that DDX3X mRNA expression demonstrated statistically higher in WHO grade IV (n = 81 than in non-tumor controls (n = 23, p = 1.13 × 10−10. Moreover, DDX3X level was also higher in WHO grade III (n = 19 than in non-tumor controls (p = 2.43 × 10−5. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed poor survival in patients with high DDX3X mRNA levels (n = 24 than in those with low DDX3X expression (n = 53 (median survival, 115 vs. 58 weeks, p = 0.0009, by log-rank test, hazard ratio: 0.3507, 95% CI: 0.1893–0.6496. Furthermore, DDX3X mRNA expression and protein production significantly increased in glioma cells compared with normal brain tissue examined by quantitative RT-PCR, and Western blot. IHC staining showed highly staining of high-grade glioma in comparison with normal brain tissue. Taken together, DDX3X expression level positively correlates with WHO pathologic grading and poor survival outcome, indicating that DDX3X is a valuable biomarker in human gliomas.

  4. A murine model of type 2 autoimmune hepatitis: Xenoimmunization with human antigens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lapierre, Pascal; Djilali-Saiah, Idriss; Vitozzi, Susana; Alvarez, Fernando

    2004-04-01

    Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is characterized by an immune-mediated injury of the hepatic parenchyma of unknown pathogenesis. Type 2 AIH is identified by the presence of anti-liver-kidney microsomes type 1 (anti-LKM1) and anti-liver cytosol type 1 (anti-LC1) autoantibodies. The current study shows that a murine model of AIH can be generated by DNA immunization against type 2 AIH self-antigens (P450 2D6 and formiminotransferase-cyclodeaminase). A pCMV plasmid containing the N-terminal region of mouse CTLA-4 and the antigenic region of human CYP2D6 (672-1,377 bp) and human formiminotransferase cyclodeaminase (FTCD; 1,232-1,668 bp) was used for DNA immunization of C57BL/6 female mice. Immunized mice showed elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), with peaks at 4 and 7 months postinjection. Periportal, portal, and intralobular liver inflammatory infiltrates were observed at histology. Mainly CD4+ lymphocytes, but also CD8+ and B lymphocytes, were found in the liver. Cytotoxic-specific T cells were found in both the liver and spleen of these animals. Mice developed anti-LKM1 and anti-LC1 antibodies of immunoglobulin G2 (IgG2) subclass, against specific mouse autoantigens. The ALT levels correlated with both the presence of anti-LKM1/anti-LC1 antibodies and the presence of liver necroinflammation. In conclusion, in mice, DNA immunization against human autoantigens breaks tolerance and induces an autoimmune liver disease. Molecular mimicry between foreign and self-antigens explains the liver injury. This model of AIH resembles human type 2 AIH and will be helpful for the study of its pathogenesis.

  5. Proteasome LMP2/β1i subunit as biomarker for human uterine leiomyosarcoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takuma Hayashi

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Uterine leiomyosarcoma (Ut-LMS develops more frequently in the myometrium of the uterine body than in the uterine cervix. Although the development of gynecological tumors is often correlated with the secretion of female hormones that of Ut-LMS does not, and its risk factor(s remain unknown. Importantly, a diagnostic biomarker that can distinguish malignant tumor Ut-LMS from benign tumor leiomyoma (LMA, has yet to be established. Therefore, the risk factor(s associated with Ut-LMS need to be examined in order to establish a diagnosis and clinical treatment method. Mice with a homozygous deficiency for the proteasome b-ring subunit, low-molecular mass polypeptide (LMP2/b1i spontaneously develop Ut-LMS, with a disease prevalence of ~40% by 14 months of age. In recent studies, we showed that LMP2/b1i expression was absent in human Ut-LMS, but present in other human uterine mesenchymal tumors including uterine LMA. Moreover, LMP2/b1i is also known to negatively regulate human Ut-LMS tumorigenesis. Additional experiments furthermore revealed the differential expression of cyclin E and calponin h1 in human uterine mesenchymal tumors. Therefore, LMP2/b1i is a potential diagnostic biomarker when combined with the candidate molecules, cyclin E and calponin h1 for human Ut-LMS, and may be a targeted molecule for a new therapeutic approach.---------------------------------------------Cite this article as: Hayashi T, Horiuchi A Aburatani H, Ishiko O, Yaegashi N, Kanai Y, Zharhary D, Tonegawa S, Konishi I. Proteasome LMP2/ß1i subunit as biomarker for human uterine leiomyosarcoma. Int J Cancer Ther Oncol 2014; 2(1:02018.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14319/ijcto.0201.8

  6. Regionally variant collagen alignment correlates with viscoelastic properties of the disc of the human temporomandibular joint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutman, Shawn; Kim, Daniel; Tarafder, Solaiman; Velez, Sergio; Jeong, Julia; Lee, Chang H

    2018-02-01

    To determine the regionally variant quality of collagen alignment in human TMJ discs and its statistical correlation with viscoelastic properties. For quantitative analysis of the quality of collagen alignment, horizontal sections of human TMJ discs with Pricrosirius Red staining were imaged under circularly polarized microscopy. Mean angle and angular deviation of collagen fibers in each region were analyzed using a well-established automated image-processing for angular gradient. Instantaneous and relaxation moduli of each disc region were measured under stress-relaxation test both in tensile and compression. Then Spearman correlation analysis was performed between the angular deviation and the moduli. To understand the effect of glycosaminoglycans on the correlation, TMJ disc samples were treated by chondroitinase ABC (C-ABC). Our imaging processing analysis showed the region-variant direction of collagen alignment, consistently with previous findings. Interestingly, the quality of collagen alignment, not only the directions, was significantly different in between the regions. The angular deviation of fiber alignment in the anterior and intermediate regions were significantly smaller than the posterior region. Medial and lateral regions showed significantly bigger angular deviation than all the other regions. The regionally variant angular deviation values showed statistically significant correlation with the tensile instantaneous modulus and the relaxation modulus, partially dependent on C-ABC treatment. Our findings suggest the region-variant degree of collagen fiber alignment is likely attributed to the heterogeneous viscoelastic properties of TMJ disc that may have significant implications in development of regenerative therapy for TMJ disc. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Developmental changes of BOLD signal correlations with global human EEG power and synchronization during working memory.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lars Michels

    Full Text Available In humans, theta band (5-7 Hz power typically increases when performing cognitively demanding working memory (WM tasks, and simultaneous EEG-fMRI recordings have revealed an inverse relationship between theta power and the BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent signal in the default mode network during WM. However, synchronization also plays a fundamental role in cognitive processing, and the level of theta and higher frequency band synchronization is modulated during WM. Yet, little is known about the link between BOLD, EEG power, and EEG synchronization during WM, and how these measures develop with human brain maturation or relate to behavioral changes. We examined EEG-BOLD signal correlations from 18 young adults and 15 school-aged children for age-dependent effects during a load-modulated Sternberg WM task. Frontal load (in-dependent EEG theta power was significantly enhanced in children compared to adults, while adults showed stronger fMRI load effects. Children demonstrated a stronger negative correlation between global theta power and the BOLD signal in the default mode network relative to adults. Therefore, we conclude that theta power mediates the suppression of a task-irrelevant network. We further conclude that children suppress this network even more than adults, probably from an increased level of task-preparedness to compensate for not fully mature cognitive functions, reflected in lower response accuracy and increased reaction time. In contrast to power, correlations between instantaneous theta global field synchronization and the BOLD signal were exclusively positive in both age groups but only significant in adults in the frontal-parietal and posterior cingulate cortices. Furthermore, theta synchronization was weaker in children and was--in contrast to EEG power--positively correlated with response accuracy in both age groups. In summary we conclude that theta EEG-BOLD signal correlations differ between spectral power and

  8. Single prostacyclin receptor of gel-filtered platelets provides a correlation with antiaggregatory potency of PGI2 mimics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eggerman, T.L.; Hartzell, C.J.; Selfe, S.; Andersen, N.H.

    1987-01-01

    Gel-filtered human platelets (GFP) display only a single binding site for [ 3 H]-PGI2: KD = 61nM, 234 fmol/10(8) platelets (1410 sites/platelet). Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) displays the same receptor density but the KD value increases to 123 nM due to protein binding of PGI2 which lowers its effective concentration. The [ 3 H]-PGI2/GFP binding assay has been used to evaluate the molecular basis of aggregation inhibition for prostacyclin analogs and mimics, three PGE type structures, and PGD2. Antiaggregatory IC50s and radioligand binding IC50s correlate for PGE2, E1, and six PGI2 analogs. PGD2, and to a lesser extent 6-oxo-PGE1, display greater antiaggregatory potency than expected based on PGI2-binding site affinity data

  9. Ubiquitin Carboxy-Terminal HydrolaseL3 Correlates with Human Sperm Count, Motility and Fertilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Meijiao; Yu, Tinghe; Hu, Lina; Cheng, Zhi; Li, Min

    2016-01-01

    Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L3 (UCHL3) belongs to the group of deubiquitinating enzymes and plays a part in apoptosis of germ cells and the differentiation of spermatocytes into spermatids. However, the exact role of UCHL3 in human spermatogenesis and sperm function remains unknown. Here we examined the level and activity of UCHL3 in spermatozoa from men with asthenozoospermia (A), oligoasthenozoospermia (OA) or normozoospermia (N). Immunofluorescence indicated that UCHL3 was mainly localized in the acrosome and throughout the flagella, and western blotting revealed a lower level in A or OA compared with N (p sperm count, concentration and motility. The UCHL3 level was positively correlated with the normal fertilization rate (FR) and percentage of embryos suitable for transfer/cryopreservation of in vitro fertilization (IVF). The UCHL3 activity was also positively correlated with FR, the percentage of embryos suitable for transfer/cryopreservation and high-quality embryos rate of IVF. Aforementioned correlations were not manifested in intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). These findings suggest that UCHL3 may play a role in male infertility.

  10. Gluon amplitudes as 2 d conformal correlators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasterski, Sabrina; Shao, Shu-Heng; Strominger, Andrew

    2017-10-01

    Recently, spin-one wave functions in four dimensions that are conformal primaries of the Lorentz group S L (2 ,C ) were constructed. We compute low-point, tree-level gluon scattering amplitudes in the space of these conformal primary wave functions. The answers have the same conformal covariance as correlators of spin-one primaries in a 2 d CFT. The Britto-Cachazo-Feng-Witten (BCFW) recursion relation between three- and four-point gluon amplitudes is recast into this conformal basis.

  11. Correlation between model observers in uniform background and human observers in patient liver background for a low-contrast detection task in CT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Hao; Yu, Lifeng; Leng, Shuai; Dilger, Samantha; Zhou, Wei; Ren, Liqiang; McCollough, Cynthia H.

    2018-03-01

    Channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) has demonstrated strong correlation with human observer (HO) in both single-slice viewing mode and multi-slice viewing mode in low-contrast detection tasks with uniform background. However, it remains unknown if the simplest single-slice CHO in uniform background can be used to predict human observer performance in more realistic tasks that involve patient anatomical background and multi-slice viewing mode. In this study, we aim to investigate the correlation between CHO in a uniform water background and human observer performance at a multi-slice viewing mode on patient liver background for a low-contrast lesion detection task. The human observer study was performed on CT images from 7 abdominal CT exams. A noise insertion tool was employed to synthesize CT scans at two additional dose levels. A validated lesion insertion tool was used to numerically insert metastatic liver lesions of various sizes and contrasts into both phantom and patient images. We selected 12 conditions out of 72 possible experimental conditions to evaluate the correlation at various radiation doses, lesion sizes, lesion contrasts and reconstruction algorithms. CHO with both single and multi-slice viewing modes were strongly correlated with HO. The corresponding Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.982 (with 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.936, 0.995]) and 0.989 (with 95% CI of [0.960, 0.997]) in multi-slice and single-slice viewing modes, respectively. Therefore, this study demonstrated the potential to use the simplest single-slice CHO to assess image quality for more realistic clinically relevant CT detection tasks.

  12. Nutlin-3a decreases male fertility via UQCRC2.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamla Kant Shukla

    Full Text Available Ubiquinol-cytochrome-c reductase core protein 2 (UQCRC2 is a component of ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase complex that is known to correlate with male fertility via spermatogenesis. Simultaneously, nutlin-3a is a small molecule antagonist of mouse double minute 2 repressor (MDM2, activate p53 and induce apoptosis responsible for spermatogenesis. To date, however there are no known effects of nutlin-3a on reproduction. Therefore, present study was designed to investigate the effect of nutlin-3a on male fertility via UQCRC2. In this in vitro trial with mice spermatozoa, we utilized CASA, CTC staining, ATP assay, western blotting, and IVF to measure the main study outcome. The short-term exposure of spermatozoa in nutlin-3a decreases sperm motion kinematics, intracellular ATP production, capacitation, the acrosome reaction, UQCRC2, and tyrosine phosphorylation (TYP of sperm proteins in a dose-dependent manner. Notably, the decreased UQCRC2 and TYP were associated with reduced sperm kinematics, ATP production, and capacitation, which ultimately led to adverse effects on male fertility such as poor fertilization rates and embryo development. Thus, nutlin-3a may be considered as a potential male contraceptive agent due to its ability to decrease fertility secondary to changes in overall sperm physiology and embryonic development. However, the results of this preliminary study have to be confirmed by additional independent trial.

  13. Correlations between different methods of UO2 pellet density measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yanagisawa, Kazuaki

    1977-07-01

    Density of UO 2 pellets was measured by three different methods, i.e., geometrical, water-immersed and meta-xylene immersed and treated statistically, to find out the correlations between UO 2 pellets are of six kinds but with same specifications. The correlations are linear 1 : 1 for pellets of 95% theoretical densities and above, but such do not exist below the level and variated statistically due to interaction between open and close pores. (auth.)

  14. Cytotoxic effects of glass ionomer cements on human dental pulp stem cells correlate with fluoride release.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanjevac, Tatjana; Milovanovic, Marija; Volarevic, Vladislav; Lukic, Miodrag L; Arsenijevic, Nebojsa; Markovic, Dejan; Zdravkovic, Nebojsa; Tesic, Zivoslav; Lukic, Aleksandra

    2012-01-01

    Glass ionomer cements (GICs) are commonly used as restorative materials. Responses to GICs differ among cell types and it is therefore of importance to thoroughly investigate the influence of these restorative materials on pulp stem cells that are potential source for dental tissue regeneration. Eight biomaterials were tested: Fuji I, Fuji II, Fuji VIII, Fuji IX, Fuji Plus, Fuji Triage, Vitrebond and Composit. We compared their cytotoxic activity on human dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) and correlated this activity with the content of Fluoride, Aluminium and Strontium ions in their eluates. Elution samples of biomaterials were prepared in sterile tissue culture medium and the medium was tested for toxicity by an assay of cell survival/proliferation (MTT test) and apoptosis (Annexin V FITC Detection Kit). Concentrations of Fluoride, Aluminium and Strontium ions were tested by appropriate methods in the same eluates. Cell survival ranged between 79.62% (Fuji Triage) to 1.5% (Fuji Plus) and most dead DPSCs were in the stage of late apoptosis. Fluoride release correlated with cytotoxicity of GICs, while Aluminium and Strontium ions, present in significant amount in eluates of tested GICs did not. Fuji Plus, Vitrebond and Fuji VIII, which released fluoride in higher quantities than other GICs, were highly toxic to human DPSCs. Opposite, low levels of released fluoride correlated to low cytotoxic effect of Composit, Fuji I and Fuji Triage.

  15. [Correlation between RNA Expression Level and Early PMI in Human Brain Tissue].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lü, Y H; Ma, K J; Li, Z H; Gu, J; Bao, J Y; Yang, Z F; Gao, J; Zeng, Y; Tao, L; Chen, L

    2016-08-01

    To explore the correlation between the expression levels of several RNA markers in human brain tissue and early postmortem interval (PMI). Twelve individuals with known PMI (range from 4.3 to 22.5 h) were selected and total RNA was extracted from brain tissue. Eight commonly used RNA markers were chosen including β -actin, GAPDH, RPS29, 18S rRNA, 5S rRNA, U6 snRNA, miRNA-9 and miRNA-125b, and the expression levels were detected in brain tissue by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. The internal reference markers with stable expression in early PMI were screened using geNorm software and the relationship between its expression level and some relevant factors such as age, gender and cause of death were analyzed. RNA markers normalized by internal reference were inserted into the mathematic model established by previous research for PMI estimation using R software. Model quality was judged by the error rate calculated with estimated PMI. 5S rRNA, miRNA-9 and miRNA-125b showed quite stable expression and their expression levels had no relation with age, gender and cause of death. The error rate of estimated PMI using β -actin was 24.6%, while GAPDH was 41.0%. 5S rRNA, miRNA-9 and miRNA-125b are suitable as internal reference markers of human brain tissue owing to their stable expression in early PMI. The expression level of β -actin correlates well with PMI, which can be used as an additional index for early PMI estimation. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine

  16. Low-temperature elastic anomalies in CaTiO3: dynamical characterization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Placeres-Jiménez, R.; Gonçalves, L. G. V.; Rino, J. P.; Fraygola, B.; Nascimento, W. J.; Eiras, J. A.

    2012-11-01

    Pulse-echo ultrasonic measurements of elastic coefficients of CaTiO3 show anomalous behavior around 200 K, with a notable rise in the attenuation coefficient. Molecular dynamics simulation is used to simulate the elastic response of a mono-domain (MDm) and a poly-domain (PDm) configuration of CaTiO3 using the Vashishta-Raman interatomic potential. The PDm is obtained by cooling the melt from 3600 to 300 K at a rate of 0.5 K ps-1, so that it recrystallizes to the PDm orthorhombic configuration. The elastic behavior is simulated in the temperature range from 300 to 20 K. In the MDm, it is observed that the bulk modulus varies linearly with temperature, while in the PDm an anomalous hardening is seen around 210 K. The bulk modulus of the PDm fluctuates strongly and is lower than that of the MDm. Neither the pair correlation function nor the Ti-Ti-O bonding angle indicate a true structural phase transition in this range of temperatures. Given the absence of any apparent change in the structure, a possible explanation for this phenomenon is the emergence of a certain class of dynamical instability associated with domain wall motion. Curiously, the pressure fluctuations in both the MDm and PDm configurations follow a power law distribution f ˜ P-α, with the exponent independent of applied strain and temperature. Time series for pressure are used to analyze the dynamics by time-delay reconstruction techniques. The calculus of embedding and correlation dimension indicates that in the polycrystalline configuration, low-dimension dynamics (<26) appears, which tend to disappear at higher temperatures.

  17. Tissue Expressions of Soluble Human Epoxide Hydrolase-2 Enzyme in Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmedov, Merdin Lyutviev; Kemerdere, Rahsan; Baran, Oguz; Inal, Berrin Bercik; Gumus, Alper; Coskun, Cihan; Yeni, Seher Naz; Eren, Bulent; Uzan, Mustafa; Tanriverdi, Taner

    2017-10-01

    We sought to simply demonstrate how levels of soluble human epoxide hydrolase-2 show changes in both temporal the cortex and hippocampal complex in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. A total of 20 patients underwent anterior temporal lobe resection due to temporal lobe epilepsy. The control group comprised 15 people who died in traffic accidents or by falling from a height, and their autopsy findings were included. Adequately sized temporal cortex and hippocampal samples were removed from each patient during surgery, and the same anatomic structures were removed from the control subjects during the autopsy procedures. Each sample was stored at -80°C as rapidly as possible until the enzyme assay. The temporal cortex in the epilepsy patients had a significantly higher enzyme level than did the temporal cortex of the control group (P = 0.03). Correlation analysis showed that as the enzyme level increases in the temporal cortex, it also increases in the hippocampal complex (r 2  = 0.06, P = 0.00001). More important, enzyme tissue levels showed positive correlations with seizure frequency in both the temporal cortex and hippocampal complex in patients (r 2  = 0.7, P = 0.00001 and r 2  = 0.4, P = 0.003, respectively). The duration of epilepsy was also positively correlated with the hippocampal enzyme level (r 2  = 0.06, P = 0.00001). Soluble human epoxy hydrolase enzyme-2 is increased in both lateral and medial temporal tissues in temporal lobe epilepsy. Further studies should be conducted as inhibition of this enzyme has resulted in a significant decrease in or stopping of seizures and attenuated neuroinflammation in experimental epilepsy models in the current literature. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Human-like PB2 627K influenza virus polymerase activity is regulated by importin-α1 and -α7.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ben Hudjetz

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Influenza A viruses may cross species barriers and transmit to humans with the potential to cause pandemics. Interplay of human- (PB2 627K and avian-like (PB2 627E influenza polymerase complexes with unknown host factors have been postulated to play a key role in interspecies transmission. Here, we have identified human importin-α isoforms (α1 and α7 as positive regulators of human- but not avian-like polymerase activity. Human-like polymerase activity correlated with efficient recruitment of α1 and α7 to viral ribonucleoprotein complexes (vRNPs without affecting subcellular localization. We also observed that human-like influenza virus growth was impaired in α1 and α7 downregulated human lung cells. Mice lacking α7 were less susceptible to human- but not avian-like influenza virus infection. Thus, α1 and α7 are positive regulators of human-like polymerase activity and pathogenicity beyond their role in nuclear transport.

  19. D2 receptor genotype and striatal dopamine signaling predict motor cortical activity and behavior in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fazio, Leonardo; Blasi, Giuseppe; Taurisano, Paolo; Papazacharias, Apostolos; Romano, Raffaella; Gelao, Barbara; Ursini, Gianluca; Quarto, Tiziana; Lo Bianco, Luciana; Di Giorgio, Annabella; Mancini, Marina; Popolizio, Teresa; Rubini, Giuseppe; Bertolino, Alessandro

    2011-02-14

    Pre-synaptic D2 receptors regulate striatal dopamine release and DAT activity, key factors for modulation of motor pathways. A functional SNP of DRD2 (rs1076560 G>T) is associated with alternative splicing such that the relative expression of D2S (mainly pre-synaptic) vs. D2L (mainly post-synaptic) receptor isoforms is decreased in subjects with the T allele with a putative increase of striatal dopamine levels. To evaluate how DRD2 genotype and striatal dopamine signaling predict motor cortical activity and behavior in humans, we have investigated the association of rs1076560 with BOLD fMRI activity during a motor task. To further evaluate the relationship of this circuitry with dopamine signaling, we also explored the correlation between genotype based differences in motor brain activity and pre-synaptic striatal DAT binding measured with [(123)I] FP-CIT SPECT. Fifty healthy subjects, genotyped for DRD2 rs1076560 were studied with BOLD-fMRI at 3T while performing a visually paced motor task with their right hand; eleven of these subjects also underwent [(123)I]FP-CIT SPECT. SPM5 random-effects models were used for statistical analyses. Subjects carrying the T allele had greater BOLD responses in left basal ganglia, thalamus, supplementary motor area, and primary motor cortex, whose activity was also negatively correlated with reaction time at the task. Moreover, left striatal DAT binding and activity of left supplementary motor area were negatively correlated. The present results suggest that DRD2 genetic variation was associated with focusing of responses in the whole motor network, in which activity of predictable nodes was correlated with reaction time and with striatal pre-synaptic dopamine signaling. Our results in humans may help shed light on genetic risk for neurobiological mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of disorders with dysregulation of striatal dopamine like Parkinson's disease. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Correlation Of An E-Nose System For Odor Assessment Of Shoe/Sock Systems With A Human Sensory Panel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horras, Stephan; Reimann, Peter; Schuetze, Andreas; Gaiotto, Alessandra; Mayer, Maria

    2009-01-01

    Evaluation of strength and quality of smell is today still primarily done with human sensory panels. For a range of applications, technical systems for an objective smell assessment would provide a great benefit in R and D and also day-to-day application. The project presented here specifically addresses the problem of assessing the strength and unpleasantness of smell caused by sweat in shoes and socks by an E-nose system. The ultimate goal is to provide a tool for developing improved shoe/sock systems with optimized materials.The main approach to achieve this goal is to find a correlation between the assessment of a human sensory panel and the complex sensor response patterns of an E-Nose system to appraise the smell of sweat in shoes and socks. Therefore a range of test persons wear shoes and socks under defined ambient conditions in a controlled test environment as well as during everyday use. Afterwards the smell of the shoes and socks is both measured with the E-Nose system and assessed by a human sensory panel. We report here the results of the first larger test series and the identified correlation between the E-Nose system and the human assessment of the smell of sweat.