Studying repair of a single protein-bound nick in vivo using the Flp-nick system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Ida; Andersen, Anni Hangaard; Bjergbæk, Lotte

2012-01-01

The Flp-nick system is a simple in vivo system developed for studying the cellular responses to a protein-bound nick at a single genomic site in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The Flp-nick system takes advantage of a mutant Flp recombinase that can introduce a nick at a specific Flp ...

Role of oxidative stress in methamphetamine-induced dopaminergic toxicity mediated by protein kinase Cδ.

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Shin, Eun-Joo; Duong, Chu Xuan; Nguyen, Xuan-Khanh Thi; Li, Zhengyi; Bing, Guoying; Bach, Jae-Hyung; Park, Dae Hun; Nakayama, Keiichi; Ali, Syed F; Kanthasamy, Anumantha G; Cadet, Jean Lud; Nabeshima, Toshitaka; Kim, Hyoung-Chun

2012-06-15

This study examined the role of protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes in methamphetamine (MA)-induced dopaminergic toxicity. Multiple-dose administration of MA did not significantly alter PKCα, PKCβI, PKCβII, or PKCζ expression in the striatum, but did significantly increase PKCδ expression. Gö6976 (a co-inhibitor of PKCα and -β), hispidin (PKCβ inhibitor), and PKCζ pseudosubstrate inhibitor (PKCζ inhibitor) did not significantly alter MA-induced behavioral impairments. However, rottlerin (PKCδ inhibitor) significantly attenuated behavioral impairments in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, MA-induced behavioral impairments were not apparent in PKCδ knockout (-/-) mice. MA-induced oxidative stress (i.e., lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation) was significantly attenuated in rottlerin-treated mice and was not apparent in PKCδ (-/-) mice. Consistent with this, MA-induced apoptosis (i.e., terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive apoptotic cells) was significantly attenuated in rottlerin-treated mice. Furthermore, MA-induced increases in the dopamine (DA) turnover rate and decreases in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity and the expression of TH, dopamine transporter (DAT), and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) were not significantly observed in rottlerin-treated or PKCδ (-/-) mice. Our results suggest that PKCδ gene expression is a key mediator of oxidative stress and dopaminergic damage induced by MA. Thus, inhibition of PKCδ may be a useful target for protection against MA-induced neurotoxicity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nick Laws | NREL

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-3238 Nick's primary work at NREL revolves around REopt - a techno-economic optimization model for , Nick is continuously adapting the REopt model to accommodate the latest technologies, market factors spiral and the impact of utility rate structures on the adoption of residential solar photovoltaics and

Antioxidant role of glutathione S-transferases: 4-Hydroxynonenal, a key molecule in stress-mediated signaling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singhal, Sharad S.; Singh, Sharda P.; Singhal, Preeti; Horne, David; Singhal, Jyotsana; Awasthi, Sanjay

2015-01-01

4-Hydroxy-2-trans-nonenal (4HNE), one of the major end products of lipid peroxidation (LPO), has been shown to induce apoptosis in a variety of cell lines. It appears to modulate signaling processes in more than one way because it has been suggested to have a role in signaling for differentiation and proliferation. It has been known that glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) can reduce lipid hydroperoxides through their Se-independent glutathione-peroxidase activity and that these enzymes can also detoxify LPO end-products such as 4HNE. Available evidence from earlier studies together with results of recent studies in our laboratories strongly suggests that LPO products, particularly hydroperoxides and 4HNE, are involved in the mechanisms of stress-mediated signaling and that it can be modulated by the alpha-class GSTs through the regulation of the intracellular concentrations of 4HNE. We demonstrate that 4HNE induced apoptosis in various cell lines is accompanied with c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) and caspase-3 activation. Cells exposed to mild, transient heat or oxidative stress acquire the capacity to exclude intracellular 4HNE at a faster rate by inducing GSTA4-4 which conjugates 4HNE to glutathione (GSH), and RLIP76 which mediates the ATP-dependent transport of the GSH-conjugate of 4HNE (GS-HNE). The balance between formation and exclusion promotes different cellular processes — higher concentrations of 4HNE promote apoptosis; whereas, lower concentrations promote proliferation. In this article, we provide a brief summary of the cellular effects of 4HNE, followed by a review of its GST-catalyzed detoxification, with an emphasis on the structural attributes that play an important role in the interactions with alpha-class GSTA4-4. Taken together, 4HNE is a key signaling molecule and that GSTs being determinants of its intracellular concentrations, can regulate stress-mediated signaling, are reviewed in this article. - Highlights: • GSTs are the major

Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor sildenafil preconditions adult cardiac myocytes against necrosis and apoptosis. Essential role of nitric oxide signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Anindita; Xi, Lei; Kukreja, Rakesh C

2005-04-01

We investigated the effect of sildenafil in protection against necrosis or apoptosis in cardiomyocytes. Adult mouse ventricular myocytes were treated with sildenafil (1 or 10 microM) for 1 h before 40 min of simulated ischemia (SI). Necrosis was determined by trypan blue exclusion and lactate dehydrogenase release following SI alone or plus 1 or 18 h of reoxygenation (RO). Apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling assay and mitochondrial membrane potential measured using a fluorescent probe 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolyl-carbocyanine iodide (JC-1). Sildenafil reduced necrosis as indicated by decrease in trypan blue-positive myocytes and leakage of lactate dehydrogenase compared with untreated cells after either SI or SI-RO. The number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling-positive myocytes or loss of JC-1 fluorescence following SI and 18 h of RO was attenuated in the sildenafil-treated group with concomitant inhibition of caspase 3 activity. An early increase in Bcl-2 to Bax ratio with sildenafil treatment was also observed in myocytes after SI-RO. The increase of Bcl-2 expression by sildenafil was inhibited by nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, L-nitro-amino-methyl-ester. The drug also enhanced mRNA and protein content of inducible NOS (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) in the myocytes. Sildenafil-induced protection against necrosis and apoptosis was absent in the myocytes derived from iNOS knock-out mice and was attenuated in eNOS knock-out myocytes. The up-regulation of Bcl-2 expression by sildenafil was also absent in iNOS-deficient myocytes. Reverse transcription-PCR, Western blots, and immunohistochemical assay confirmed the expression of phosphodiesterase-5 in mouse cardiomyocytes. These data provide strong evidence for a direct protective effect of sildenafil against necrosis and apoptosis through NO signaling pathway. The results may have possible

Effect of Transient Maternal Hypotension on Apoptotic Cell Death in Foetal Rat Brain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamit Özyürek

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Intrauterine perfusion insufficiency induced by transient maternal hypotension has been reported to be associated with foetal brain malformations. However, the effects of maternal hypotension on apoptotic processes in the foetal brain have not been investigated experimentally during the intrauterine period. Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of transient maternal hypotension on apoptotic cell death in the intrauterine foetal brain. Study Design: Animal experimentation. Methods: Three-month-old female Wistar albino rats were allocated into four groups (n=5 each. The impact of hypoxic/ischemic injury induced by transient maternal hypotension on the 15th day of pregnancy (late gestation in rats was investigated at 48 (H17 group or 96 hours (H19 group after the insult. Control groups underwent the same procedure except for induction of hypotension (C17 and H17 groups. Brain sections of one randomly selected foetus from each pregnant rat were histopathologically evaluated for hypoxic/ischemic injury in the metencephalon, diencephalon, and telencephalon by terminal transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling and active cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed protease-3 (caspase-3 positivity for cell death. Results: The number of terminal transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (+ cells in all the areas examined was comparable in both hypotension and control groups. The H17 group had active caspase-3 (+ cells in the metencephalon and telencephalon, sparing diencephalon, whereas the C19 and H19 groups had active caspase-3 (+ cells in all three regions. The number of active caspase-3 (+ cells in the telencephalon in the H19 group was higher compared with the metencephalon and diencephalon and compared with H17 group (p<0.05. Conclusion: Our results suggest that prenatal hypoxic/ischemic injury triggers apoptotic mechanisms. Therefore, blockade of apoptotic pathways, considering the time pattern of the insult, may

Inflammation induction of Dickkopf-1 mediates chondrocyte apoptosis in osteoarthritic joint.

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Weng, L-H; Wang, C-J; Ko, J-Y; Sun, Y-C; Su, Y-S; Wang, F-S

2009-07-01

Dysregulated Wnt signaling appears to modulate chondrocyte fate and joint disorders. Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) regulates the pathogenesis of skeletal tissue by inhibiting Wnt actions. This study examined whether DKK1 expression is linked to chondrocyte fate in osteoarthritis (OA). Articular cartilage specimens harvested from nine patients with knee OA and from six controls with femoral neck fracture were assessed for DKK1, interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), Bad, Bax, Bcl2 and caspase-3 expression by real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. Apoptotic chondrocytes were detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end-labelling (TUNEL) and 4', 6-dianidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI) staining. Human chondrocyte cultures were treated with recombinant IL-1beta and monoclonal DKK1 antibody to determine whether DKK1 impairs chondrocyte survival. Expression of DKK1 correlated with inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-1beta and TNF-alpha expressions), proapoptosis regulators (Bad and caspase-3 expressions) and TUNEL staining in OA cartilage tissues. The IL-1beta induced expressions of DKK1, Bax, Bad and caspase-3-dependent apoptosis of chondrocyte cultures. Neutralization of DKK1 by monoclonal DKK1 antibody significantly abrogated IL-1beta-mediated caspase-3 cleavage and apoptosis and reversed chondrocyte proliferation. Recombinant DKK1 treatment impaired chondrocyte growth and promoted apoptosis. By suppressing nuclear beta-catenin accumulation and Akt phosphorylation, DKK1 mediated IL-1beta promotion of chondrocyte apoptosis. Chondrocyte apoptosis correlates with joint OA. Expression of DKK1 contributes to cartilage deterioration and is a potent factor in OA pathogenesis. Attenuating DKK1 may reduce cartilage deterioration in OA.

Lack of TXNIP protects against mitochondria-mediated apoptosis but not against fatty acid-induced ER stress-mediated beta-cell death.

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Chen, Junqin; Fontes, Ghislaine; Saxena, Geetu; Poitout, Vincent; Shalev, Anath

2010-02-01

We have previously shown that lack of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) protects against diabetes and glucotoxicity-induced beta-cell apoptosis. Because the role of TXNIP in lipotoxicity is unknown, the goal of the present study was to determine whether TXNIP expression is regulated by fatty acids and whether TXNIP deficiency also protects beta-cells against lipoapoptosis. RESARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: To determine the effects of fatty acids on beta-cell TXNIP expression, INS-1 cells and isolated islets were incubated with/without palmitate and rats underwent cyclic infusions of glucose and/or Intralipid prior to islet isolation and analysis by quantitative real-time RT-PCR and immunoblotting. Using primary wild-type and TXNIP-deficient islets, we then assessed the effects of palmitate on apoptosis (transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling [TUNEL]), mitochondrial death pathway (cytochrome c release), and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress (binding protein [BiP], C/EBP homologous protein [CHOP]). Effects of TXNIP deficiency were also tested in the context of staurosporine (mitochondrial damage) or thapsigargin (ER stress). Glucose elicited a dramatic increase in islet TXNIP expression both in vitro and in vivo, whereas fatty acids had no such effect and, when combined with glucose, even abolished the glucose effect. We also found that TXNIP deficiency does not effectively protect against palmitate or thapsigargin-induced beta-cell apoptosis, but specifically prevents staurosporine- or glucose-induced toxicity. Our results demonstrate that unlike glucose, fatty acids do not induce beta-cell expression of proapoptotic TXNIP. They further reveal that TXNIP deficiency specifically inhibits the mitochondrial death pathway underlying beta-cell glucotoxicity, whereas it has very few protective effects against ER stress-mediated lipoapoptosis.

Quantification and genome-wide mapping of DNA double-strand breaks.

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Grégoire, Marie-Chantal; Massonneau, Julien; Leduc, Frédéric; Arguin, Mélina; Brazeau, Marc-André; Boissonneault, Guylain

2016-12-01

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) represent a major threat to the genetic integrity of the cell. Knowing both their genome-wide distribution and number is important for a better assessment of genotoxicity at a molecular level. Available methods may have underestimated the extent of DSBs as they are based on markers specific to those undergoing active repair or may not be adapted for the large diversity of naturally occurring DNA ends. We have established conditions for an efficient first step of DNA nick and gap repair (NGR) allowing specific determination of DSBs by end labeling with terminal transferase. We used DNA extracted from HeLa cells harboring an I-SceI cassette to induce a targeted nick or DSB and demonstrated by immunocapture of 3'-OH that a prior step of NGR allows specific determination of loci-specific or genome wide DSBs. This method can be applied to the global determination of DSBs using radioactive end labeling and can find several applications aimed at understanding the distribution and kinetics of DSBs formation and repair. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultrasound-microbubble mediated cavitation of plant cells: effects on morphology and viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Peng; Xu, Lin; Zhong, Wenjing; Yu, Alfred C H

2012-06-01

The interaction between ultrasound pulses and microbubbles is known to generate acoustic cavitation that may puncture biological cells. This work presents new experimental findings on the bioeffects of ultrasound-microbubble mediated cavitation in plant cells with emphasis on direct observations of morphological impact and analysis of viability trends in tobacco BY-2 cells that are widely studied in higher plant physiology. The tobacco cell suspensions were exposed to 1 MHz ultrasound pulses in the presence of 1% v/v microbubbles (10% duty cycle; 1 kHz pulse repetition frequency; 70 mm between probe and cells; 1-min exposure time). Few bioeffects were observed at low peak negative pressures (cavitation presumably occurred. In contrast, at 0.9 MPa peak negative pressure (with more inertial cavitation activities according to our passive cavitation detection results), random pores were found on tobacco cell wall (observed via scanning electron microscopy) and enhanced exogenous uptake into the cytoplasm was evident (noted in our fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran uptake analysis). Also, instant lysis was observed in 23.4% of cells (found using trypan blue staining) and programmed cell death was seen in 23.3% of population after 12 h (determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling [TUNEL]). These bioeffects generally correspond in trend with those for mammalian cells. This raises the possibility of developing ultrasound-microbubble mediated cavitation into a targeted gene transfection paradigm for plant cells and, conversely, adopting plant cells as experimental test-beds for sonoporation-based gene therapy in mammalian cells. Copyright © 2012 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Influence of dendritic cell infiltration on prognosis and biologic characteristics of progressing gastric cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hai-li; Wu, Ben-yan; You, Wei-di; Shen, Ming-shi; Wang, Wen-ju

2003-09-01

To study the relation between dendritic cell (DC) infiltration and clinicopathologic parameters, biologic characteristics and prognosis of progressing gastric cancer. The development of apoptotic cell death (apoptotic index, AI) in 61 progressing gastric carcinoma tissues was analyzed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. The PCNA labeling index (PCNA-LI), density of dendritic cells in the tumor were detected by immunohistochemical method by the LSAB kit using antibody against S-100 protein and PC-10. DC infiltration was negatively correlated with lymph node metastasis, clinical stage and PCNA-LI, but positively with AI. The DCs in gastric cancer groups with and without lymph node metastasis were (5.63 +/- 4.37)/HPF and (8.51 +/- 5.57)/HPF with difference significant (P stage lesions were (11.23 +/- 6.05)/HPF, (6.28 +/- 4.37)/HPF and (5.53 +/- 5.19)/HPF also with differences significant (P gastric carcinoma.

Bcl-2, Bax, and c-Fos expression correlates to RPE cell apoptosis induced by UV-light and daunorubicin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liang, Y G; Jorgensen, A G; Kaestel, C G

2000-01-01

PURPOSE. The aim of this study was to determine the role of Bcl-2, Bcl-X L, Bax, and c-Fos in regulation of apoptosis, induced by ultraviolet-light A (UV-A) and daunorubicin (DNR), in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells grown on bovine extracellular matrix (ECM)-coated or uncoated plastic dishes....... METHODS. Apoptosis in confluent RPE cells cultured on ECM-coated or uncoated dishes was induced by UV-A or DNR. Apoptosis was detected by 7-amino-actinomycin D labeling followed by flow cytometry and by terminal deoxy-transferase mediated X-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). Cellular expression of Bcl-2, Bcl......-X L, Bax, and c-Fos was determined by the use of antibodies and flow cytometry, Western blot analysis, and immunocytochemical staining. RESULTS. Both UV-A and DNR induce apoptosis in human RPE cells in vitro. Human fetal RPE cells grown on ECM-coated dishes were significantly more resistant to UV...

Anti-apoptotic effect of heat shock protein 90 on hypoxia-mediated cardiomyocyte damage is mediated via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Peng, Yizhi; Wang, Yuanyuan; Zhao, Xiaohui; Yuan, Zhiqiang

2009-09-01

1. Hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis contributes significantly to cardiac dysfunction following trauma, shock and burn injury. There is evidence that heat shock protein (HSP) 90 is anti-apoptotic in cardiomyocytes subjected to a variety of apoptotic stimuli. Because HSP90 acts as an upstream regulator of the serine/threonine protein kinase Akt survival pathway during cellular stress, we hypothesized that HSP90 exerts a cardioprotective effect via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K)/Akt pathway. 2. Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were subjected to normoxia or hypoxia in the absence or presence of the HSP90 inhibitor geldanamycin (1 μg/mL). Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was assessed by release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end-labelling (TUNEL) staining and caspase 3 activity. Expression of HSP90, Akt, Bad and cytochrome c release was determined by western blot analysis. 3. Following exposure of cells to hypoxia, HSP90 was markedly elevated in a time-dependent manner, reaching a peak at 6 h (eightfold increase). Geldanamycin significantly increased hypoxia-induced release of LDH by 114%, the percentage of apoptotic cardiomyocytes by 102% and caspase 3 activity by 78%. Pretreatment of cells with geldanamycin also suppressed phosphorylation of both Akt and its downstream target Bad, but promoted the mitochondrial release of cytochrome c. 4. In conclusion, HSP90 activity is enhanced in cardiomyocytes following hypoxic insult. The anti-apoptotic effect of HSP90 on cardiomyocytes subjected to hypoxia is mediated, at least in part, by the PI3-K/Akt pathway. Key words: apoptosis, cardiomyocyte, heart failure, heat shock protein 90, hypoxia, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signalling pathway, serine/threonine protein kinase Akt.

A ROS-dependent and Caspase-3-mediated apoptosis in sheep bronchial epithelial cells in response to Mycoplasma Ovipneumoniae infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Di; Li, Yanan; Jiang, Zhongjia; Deng, Guangcun; Li, Min; Liu, Xiaoming; Wang, Yujiong

2017-05-01

Mycoplasma Ovipneumoniae (M. ovipneumoniae) is a primary etiological agent of enzootic pneumonia in sheep and goats. It can enter and colonize ovine respiratory epithelial cells to establish an infection, which leads a serious cell death of epithelial cells. However, the nature of the interaction between pathogen of M. ovipneumoniae and host cells in the cell injury is currently not well understood. In this study, we investigated the epithelial cell apoptosis caused by an infection of M. ovipneumoniae in sheep primary air-liquid interface (ALI) epithelial cultures. The results showed that M. ovipneumoniae could specifically bind to ciliated cells at early stage of infection. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that an infection of M. ovipneumoniae induced a time-dependent cell apoptotic cell death, accompanied with an increased production of extracellular nitric oxide (NO), intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and activation of caspase-3 signaling in sheep bronchial epithelial cells. The induced cell apoptosis was further confirmed by a transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay. Interestingly, the M. ovipneumoniae-induced apoptosis and activation of caspase-3 were correlated with the production of ROS but not NO. Mechanistically, M. ovipneumoniae-induced cell apoptosis was mediated by a mechanism by increasing the expression of phosphorylation of p38 and pro-apoptotic proteins, and activating caspase-3, caspase-8 and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage. These results suggest a ROS-dependent and caspase-3-mediated cell apoptosis in sheep bronchial epithelial cells in response to M. ovipneumoniae infections. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Metallothionein 1+2 protect the CNS during neuroglial degeneration induced by 6-aminonicotinamide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Penkowa, Milena; Giralt, Mercedes; Camats, Jordi

2002-01-01

6-Aminonicotinamide (6-AN) is a niacin antagonist, which leads to degeneration of gray matter astrocytes. Metallothionein 1+2 (MT-1+2) are neuroprotective factors in the central nervous system (CNS), and to determine the roles for MT after 6-AN, we have examined transgenic mice overexpressing MT-1...... (NITT), and the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase [TdT]-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate [dUTP]-digoxigenin nick end labeling-positive (TUNEL+), caspase-3+ apoptotic cells were significantly increased in the brainstem of normal mice after 6-AN. In the TgMTI* mice, the 6-AN-induced tissue...... damage was decreased in comparison to control mice, and they showed significantly reduced numbers of recruited macrophages and T lymphocytes, and a drastic reduction of oxidative stress and apoptotic cell death. In addition, the accompanying reactive astrogliosis was increased in the transgenic mice...

Exposure to cigarette smoke increases apoptosis in the rat gastric mucosa through a reactive oxygen species-mediated and p53-independent pathway.

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Wang, H; Ma, L; Li, Y; Cho, C H

2000-04-01

Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for gastric cancer and peptic ulcer. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between exposure to cigarette smoke and apoptosis in the rat gastric mucosa and the mechanism involved. Rats were exposed to different concentrations of cigarette smoke (0, 2, and 4%) once daily for a different number of 1 h periods (1, 3, 6, and 9 d). Apoptosis was identified by the terminal deoxy-transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) method and caspase-3 activity. The mucosal xanthine oxidase (XO) activity and p53 level were also measured. The results showed that exposure to cigarette smoke produced a time- and concentration-dependent increase in apoptosis in the rat gastric mucosa that was accompanied by an increase in XO activity. The increased apoptosis and XO activity could be detected after even a single exposure. In contrast, the level of p53 was elevated only in the later stage of cigarette smoke exposure. The apoptotic effect could be blocked by pretreatment with an XO inhibitor (allopurinol, 20 mg/kg intraperitoneally) or a hydroxyl free radical scavenger (DMSO, 0.2%, 1 ml/kg intravenously). However, neither of these treatments had any effect on the p53 level of the mucosa. In summary, we conclude that exposure to cigarette smoke can increase apoptosis in the rat gastric mucosa through a reactive oxygen species- (ROS) mediated and a p53-independent pathway.

Distinct genetic control of homologous recombination repair of Cas9-induced double-strand breaks, nicks and paired nicks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vriend, Lianne E. M.; Prakash, Rohit; Chen, Chun-Chin; Vanoli, Fabio; Cavallo, Francesca; Zhang, Yu; Jasin, Maria; Krawczyk, Przemek M.

2016-01-01

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are known to be powerful inducers of homologous recombination (HR), but single-strand breaks (nicks) have also been shown to trigger HR. Both DSB- and nick-induced HR ((nick)HR) are exploited in advanced genome-engineering approaches based on the bacterial RNA-guided

An ethanolic extract of leaves of Piper betle (Paan) Linn mediates its antileishmanial activity via apoptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Avijit; Sen, Rupashree; Saha, Piu; Ganguly, Sudipto; Mandal, Goutam; Chatterjee, Mitali

2008-05-01

An unprecedented increase in the incidence of unresponsiveness to antimonial compounds has highlighted the urgent need to develop new antileishmanial agents. The leaves of Piper betle (locally known as Paan) have long been in use in the Indian indigenous system of medicine for its antimicrobial properties but its antileishmanial potential has not been studied. Accordingly, an ethanolic extract of leaves of Piper betle (PB) was tested for its antileishmanial activity that was evidenced in both promastigotes and amastigotes, with IC50 values of 9.8 and 5.45 microg/ml, respectively; importantly, it was accompanied by a safety index of >12-fold. This leishmanicidal activity of PB was mediated via apoptosis as evidenced by morphological changes, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, in situ labeling of DNA fragments by terminal deoxyribonucleotidyltransferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling, and cell-cycle arrest at the sub-G0/G1 phase. Taken together, the data indicate that PB has promising antileishmanial activity that is mediated via programmed cell death and, accordingly, merits consideration and further investigation as a therapeutic option for the treatment of leishmaniasis.

Footprinting of Chlorella virus DNA ligase bound at a nick in duplex DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Odell, M; Shuman, S

1999-05-14

The 298-amino acid ATP-dependent DNA ligase of Chlorella virus PBCV-1 is the smallest eukaryotic DNA ligase known. The enzyme has intrinsic specificity for binding to nicked duplex DNA. To delineate the ligase-DNA interface, we have footprinted the enzyme binding site on DNA and the DNA binding site on ligase. The size of the exonuclease III footprint of ligase bound a single nick in duplex DNA is 19-21 nucleotides. The footprint is asymmetric, extending 8-9 nucleotides on the 3'-OH side of the nick and 11-12 nucleotides on the 5'-phosphate side. The 5'-phosphate moiety is essential for the binding of Chlorella virus ligase to nicked DNA. Here we show that the 3'-OH moiety is not required for nick recognition. The Chlorella virus ligase binds to a nicked ligand containing 2',3'-dideoxy and 5'-phosphate termini, but cannot catalyze adenylation of the 5'-end. Hence, the 3'-OH is important for step 2 chemistry even though it is not itself chemically transformed during DNA-adenylate formation. A 2'-OH cannot substitute for the essential 3'-OH in adenylation at a nick or even in strand closure at a preadenylated nick. The protein side of the ligase-DNA interface was probed by limited proteolysis of ligase with trypsin and chymotrypsin in the presence and absence of nicked DNA. Protease accessible sites are clustered within a short segment from amino acids 210-225 located distal to conserved motif V. The ligase is protected from proteolysis by nicked DNA. Protease cleavage of the native enzyme prior to DNA addition results in loss of DNA binding. These results suggest a bipartite domain structure in which the interdomain segment either comprises part of the DNA binding site or undergoes a conformational change upon DNA binding. The domain structure of Chlorella virus ligase inferred from the solution experiments is consistent with the structure of T7 DNA ligase determined by x-ray crystallography.

Nerve growth factor delivery by ultrasound-mediated nanobubble destruction as a treatment for acute spinal cord injury in rats

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Zhaojun; Wang, Zhigang; Shen, Jieliang; Xu, Shengxi; Hu, Zhenming

2017-01-01

Background Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) can cause severe disability or death. Treatment options include surgical intervention, drug therapy, and stem cell transplantation. However, the efficacy of these methods for functional recovery remains unsatisfactory. Purpose This study was conducted to explore the effect of ultrasound (US)-mediated destruction of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanobubbles (NBs) expressing nerve growth factor (NGF) (NGF/PLGA NBs) on nerve regeneration in rats following SCI. Materials and methods Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four treatment groups after Allen hit models of SCI were established. The groups were normal saline (NS) group, NGF and NBs group, NGF and US group, and NGF/PLGA NBs and US group. Histological changes after SCI were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Neuron viability was determined by Nissl staining. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling staining was used to examine cell apoptosis. NGF gene and protein expressions were detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Green fluorescent protein expression in the spinal cord was examined using an inverted fluorescence microscope. The recovery of neural function was determined using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan test. Results NGF therapy using US-mediated NGF/PLGA NBs destruction significantly increased NGF expression, attenuated histological injury, decreased neuron loss, inhibited neuronal apoptosis in injured spinal cords, and increased BBB scores in rats with SCI. Conclusion US-mediated NGF/PLGA NBs destruction effectively transfects the NGF gene into target tissues and has a significant effect on the injured spinal cord. The combination of US irradiation and gene therapy through NGF/PLGA NBs holds great promise for the future of nanomedicine and the development of noninvasive treatment options for SCI and other diseases. PMID:28280337

Apoptosis and microvessel density in gastric cancer: correlation with tumor stage and prognosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Aurello, Paolo; Bellagamba, Riccardo; Rossi Del Monte, Simone; D'Angelo, Francesco; Nigri, Giuseppe; Cicchini, Claudia; Ravaioli, Matteo; Ramacciato, Giovanni

2009-12-01

Gastric cancer remains one of the most common human malignancies with a poor prognosis. Apoptosis is known to be a programmed cell death and its inhibition is involved in the unregulated cellular growth that leads to neoplasms. Microvessel density (MVD) has been investigated as a promoting factor for angiogenesis with conflicting results about its relation to survival. The aim of our study was to search a correlation between these factors and some clinicopathological features and prognosis. Identification of apoptotic cells was performed applying the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling technique and recorded as apoptotic index (A.I.), whereas monoclonal antibodies were used for the study of MVD. A significant correlation was found between low and high A.I. and the subgroup of patients in Stages I and II (P stage (P = 0.036) and to a poorer 5-year overall survival (P gastric cancer.

Programmed cell death of tobacco BY-2 cells induced by still culture conditions is affected by the age of the culture under agitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiraga, Asahi; Kaneta, Tsuyoshi; Sato, Yasushi; Sato, Seiichi

2010-01-25

Evans Blue staining indicated that actively growing tobacco BY-2 cells in the exponential phase died more rapidly than quiescent cells in the stationary phase when the cells cultured under agitation were placed under still conditions. Fifty percent cell death was induced at about 18, 26, 80 and 140 h for early, mid, late exponential- and stationary-phase cells, respectively. Actively growing cells became TUNEL (transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling)-positive more rapidly than quiescent cells, suggesting that the cell death evaluated by Evans Blue is accompanied by DNA cleavages. Electrophoresis of genomic DNA showed a typical 'DNA laddering' pattern formed by multiples of about 200 bp internucleosomal units. Chromatin condensation was first detected at least within 24 h by light microscopy, and then cell shrinkage followed. These findings suggest that the death of BY-2 cells induced by still conditions is PCD (programmed cell death).

Effects of ionizing radiation on Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum (Solanaceae)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scaldaferro, M.A.; Prina, A.R.; Moscone, E.A.; Kwasniewska, J.

2013-01-01

Cytogenetic and somatic effects of various x-ray treatments were evaluated in pepper, Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum cv. “Cayenne”, with the aim to assess optimal conditions for obtaining viable lines. The cytogenetic effects were quantified by counting chromosome aberrations. The level of DNA fragmentation was estimated with TUNEL test (terminal transferase mediated dUTP-fluorescein nick end labeling). Irradiation to 20 Gy with 16-h presoaking can be a suitable treatment of the selected pepper cultivar for a mutagenesis program. - Highlights: • Cytogenetic and somatic effects of x-rays treatments in Capsicum were evaluated. • Frequencies of chromosome aberrations correlated with radiation doses. • Highest frequency of chromosome aberrations occurred with 20 Gy+soaking seeds. • In TUNEL test, the nuclei with DNA fragmentation were higher than in the control. • The strongest effects were observed with doses of 300 Gy or 20 Gy after soaking

Prenatal ionizing radiation-induced apoptosis of the developing murine brain with special references to the expression of some proteins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kitamura, Makiko; Itoh, Kyoko; Matsumoto, Akira; Hayashi, Yoshitake; Sasaki, Ryohei; Imai, Yukihiro; Itoh, Hiroshi [Kobe Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine

2001-04-01

Apoptosis induced by ionizing irradiation of the developing mouse brain was investigated by using histology, analysis of DNA fragmentation on agarose gel and electron microscopy. A TUNEL-labeled index (L.I.) was calculated from the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay in 4 specific regions, cortical plate, intermediate zone, subependymal zone, and subependymal germinal matrix. The kinetics of apoptosis associated protein was examined by western blotting and immunofluorescence. C57BL/6J mice pregnant on embryonic day 14 (E14) were exposed to a single dose of 1.5-Gy irradiation. Irradiaited fetal brains at E15 and E17 showed extensive apoptosis with morphological characteristics. In all 4 regions, L.I. was greater in irradiated brains than in control brains at E15 and E17. Most of TUNEL-labeled cells expressed a mature neuronal marker (NeuN) and Bax protein, which is up-regulated in irradiation-induced apoptosis. Ionizing radiation moderately enhanced expression of Bax, Bcl-xL, and Cpp32 proteins. Postnatal irradiated mice showed microencephaly as compared to age-matched mice and the weight of whole body including brain decreased moderately. (author)

Prenatal ionizing radiation-induced apoptosis of the developing murine brain with special references to the expression of some proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitamura, Makiko; Itoh, Kyoko; Matsumoto, Akira; Hayashi, Yoshitake; Sasaki, Ryohei; Imai, Yukihiro; Itoh, Hiroshi

2001-01-01

Apoptosis induced by ionizing irradiation of the developing mouse brain was investigated by using histology, analysis of DNA fragmentation on agarose gel and electron microscopy. A TUNEL-labeled index (L.I.) was calculated from the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay in 4 specific regions, cortical plate, intermediate zone, subependymal zone, and subependymal germinal matrix. The kinetics of apoptosis associated protein was examined by western blotting and immunofluorescence. C57BL/6J mice pregnant on embryonic day 14 (E14) were exposed to a single dose of 1.5-Gy irradiation. Irradiated fetal brains at E15 and E17 showed extensive apoptosis with morphological characteristics. In all 4 regions, L.I. was greater in irradiated brains than in control brains at E15 and E17. Most of TUNEL-labeled cells expressed a mature neuronal marker (NeuN) and Bax protein, which is up-regulated in irradiation-induced apoptosis. Ionizing radiation moderately enhanced expression of Bax, Bcl-xL, and Cpp32 proteins. Postnatal irradiated mice showed microencephaly as compared to age-matched mice and the weight of whole body including brain decreased moderately. (author)

Advanced Glycation End-Products Induce Apoptosis of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells: A Mechanism for Vascular Calcification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sayo Koike

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Vascular calcification, especially medial artery calcification, is associated with cardiovascular death in patients with diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease (CKD. To determine the underlying mechanism of vascular calcification, we have demonstrated in our previous report that advanced glycation end-products (AGEs stimulated calcium deposition in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs through excessive oxidative stress and phenotypic transition into osteoblastic cells. Since AGEs can induce apoptosis, in this study we investigated its role on VSMC apoptosis, focusing mainly on the underlying mechanisms. A rat VSMC line (A7r5 was cultured, and treated with glycolaldehyde-derived AGE-bovine serum albumin (AGE3-BSA. Apoptotic cells were identified by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL staining. To quantify apoptosis, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA for histone-complexed DNA fragments was employed. Real-time PCR was performed to determine the mRNA levels. Treatment of A7r5 cells with AGE3-BSA from 100 µg/mL concentration markedly increased apoptosis, which was suppressed by Nox inhibitors. AGE3-BSA significantly increased the mRNA expression of NAD(PH oxidase components including Nox4 and p22phox, and these findings were confirmed by protein levels using immunofluorescence. Dihydroethidisum assay showed that compared with cBSA, AGE3-BSA increased reactive oxygen species level in A7r5 cells. Furthermore, AGE3-induced apoptosis was significantly inhibited by siRNA-mediated knockdown of Nox4 or p22phox. Double knockdown of Nox4 and p22phox showed a similar inhibitory effect on apoptosis as single gene silencing. Thus, our results demonstrated that NAD(PH oxidase-derived oxidative stress are involved in AGEs-induced apoptosis of VSMCs. These findings might be important to understand the pathogenesis of vascular calcification in diabetes and CKD.

Purple sweet potato color alleviates D-galactose-induced brain aging in old mice by promoting survival of neurons via PI3K pathway and inhibiting cytochrome C-mediated apoptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Jun; Wu, Dong-mei; Zheng, Yuan-lin; Hu, Bin; Zhang, Zi-feng

2010-05-01

Purple sweet potato color (PSPC), a class of naturally occurring anthocyanins, protects brain function against oxidative stress induced by D-galactose (D-gal) (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA). Our data showed that PSPC enhanced open-field activity, decreased step-through latency, and improved spatial learning and memory ability in D-gal-treated old mice by decreasing advanced glycation end-products' (AGEs) formation and the AGE receptor (RAGE) expression, and by elevating Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) (Sigma-Aldrich) and catalase (CAT) expression and activity. Cleavage of caspase-3 and increased terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) nick-end-labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells in D-gal-treated old mice were inhibited by PSPC, which might be attributed to its antioxidant property. PSPC also suppressed the activation of c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) and the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria that counteracted the onset of neuronal apoptosis in D-gal-treated old mice. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activation was required for PSPC to promote the neuronal survival accompanied with phosphorylation and activation of Akt and p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) by using PI3K inhibitor LY294002 (Cell Signaling Technology, Inc., Beverly, MA, USA), implicating a neuronal survival mechanism. The present results suggest that neuronal survival promoted by PSPC may be a potentially effective method to enhance resistance of neurons to age-related disease.

Limited numbers of apoptotic cells in fresh paraffin embedded bone marrow samples of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brada, SJL; van de Loosdrecht, AA; Koudstaal, J; de Wolf, JTM; Vellenga, E

In myelodysplasia (MDS) the precise mechanism of ineffective erythropoiesis is not fully elucidated, but it is suggested that apoptosis may contribute to this process. We performed TdT-mediated dUTP-nick end labelling (TUNEL) staining of paraffin embedded bone marrow specimens to assess the amount

Epidermal growth factor regulation of glutathione S-transferase gene expression in the rat is mediated by class Pi glutathione S-transferase enhancer I.

OpenAIRE

Matsumoto, M; Imagawa, M; Aoki, Y

2000-01-01

Using chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assays we showed that epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha), and 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PenCB) induce class Pi glutathione S-transferase (GSTP1) in primary cultured rat liver parenchymal cells. GSTP1 enhancer I (GPEI), which is required for the stimulation of GSTP1 expression by PenCB, also mediates EGF and TGF alpha stimulation of GSTP1 gene expression. However, hepatocyte growth factor and insulin did no...

In vivo prediction of anti-tumor effect of 3-bromopyruvate in hepatocellular carcinoma using Tc-99m labeled annexin-v imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Won; Yoon, Jung Hwan; Kim, Chung Yang [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Cheon, Gi Jeoog; Lee, Tae Sup; Woo, Kwang Sun; Chung, Wee Sup [Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2005-07-01

We have recently demonstrated that hypoxia stimulates hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell growth through hexokinase II induction, and its inhibition induces apoptotic cell death through activating mitochondrial apoptotic signaling cascades. In this study, we were apt to evaluate the antitumoral effect of 3-bromopyruvate (3-BP) on in vivo model of HCC by apoptotic imaging using Tc-99m labeled annexin V. In vivo model of HCC was established in C3H mice intradermally implanted with MH134 cells, a mouse HCC cell line, and 3-BP (0, 5, 10 mg/kg) was subsequently administered intraperitoneally. Tc-99m-HYNIC-annexin V (185 KBq) was injected via tail vein at one and three days after the 3-BP treatment, planar scan was acquired at a hour after the injection using gamma camera. The anti-tumor effect was evaluated by measuring tumor volumes and quantification of apoptotic cells using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Tumor volume was significantly reduced in mice treated with 3-BP in a dose-dependent manner (mean tumor volume 1.07 vs. 0.58 vs. 0.39 cm{sup 3} in 3-BP 0, 5, 10 mg/kg, respectively: p=0.047). The percentage of TUNEL staining-positive cells was significantly increased in 3-BP-treated mice (0.53 vs. 1.40 vs. 1.84% in 3-BP 0, 5, 10 mg/kg, respectively; p=0.018). On Tc-99m-HYNIC annexin V imaging, tumor-to-background uptake ratio (UR) was 1.92 at one day and 4.23 at three days after 3-BP treatment of 5 mg/kg (non-treated tumor showed UR of 2.93). Apoptosis-inducing anti-tumor effect of 3-BP was able to be demonstrated in in vivo model of HCC by apoptotic in vivo imaging using Tc-99m-HYNIC annexin V.

In vivo prediction of anti-tumor effect of 3-bromopyruvate in hepatocellular carcinoma using Tc-99m labeled annexin-v imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Won; Yoon, Jung Hwan; Kim, Chung Yang; Cheon, Gi Jeoog; Lee, Tae Sup; Woo, Kwang Sun; Chung, Wee Sup

2005-01-01

We have recently demonstrated that hypoxia stimulates hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell growth through hexokinase II induction, and its inhibition induces apoptotic cell death through activating mitochondrial apoptotic signaling cascades. In this study, we were apt to evaluate the antitumoral effect of 3-bromopyruvate (3-BP) on in vivo model of HCC by apoptotic imaging using Tc-99m labeled annexin V. In vivo model of HCC was established in C3H mice intradermally implanted with MH134 cells, a mouse HCC cell line, and 3-BP (0, 5, 10 mg/kg) was subsequently administered intraperitoneally. Tc-99m-HYNIC-annexin V (185 KBq) was injected via tail vein at one and three days after the 3-BP treatment, planar scan was acquired at a hour after the injection using gamma camera. The anti-tumor effect was evaluated by measuring tumor volumes and quantification of apoptotic cells using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Tumor volume was significantly reduced in mice treated with 3-BP in a dose-dependent manner (mean tumor volume 1.07 vs. 0.58 vs. 0.39 cm 3 in 3-BP 0, 5, 10 mg/kg, respectively: p=0.047). The percentage of TUNEL staining-positive cells was significantly increased in 3-BP-treated mice (0.53 vs. 1.40 vs. 1.84% in 3-BP 0, 5, 10 mg/kg, respectively; p=0.018). On Tc-99m-HYNIC annexin V imaging, tumor-to-background uptake ratio (UR) was 1.92 at one day and 4.23 at three days after 3-BP treatment of 5 mg/kg (non-treated tumor showed UR of 2.93). Apoptosis-inducing anti-tumor effect of 3-BP was able to be demonstrated in in vivo model of HCC by apoptotic in vivo imaging using Tc-99m-HYNIC annexin V

Detection of programmed cell death in plant embryos.

Science.gov (United States)

Filonova, Lada H; Suárez, María F; Bozhkov, Peter V

2008-01-01

Programmed cell death (PCD) is an integral part of embryogenesis. In plant embryos, PCD functions during terminal differentiation and elimination of the temporary organ, suspensor, as well as during establishment of provascular system. Embryo abortion is another example of embryonic PCD activated at pathological situations and in polyembryonic seeds. Recent studies identified the sequence of cytological events leading to cellular self-destruction in plant embryos. As in most if not all the developmental cell deaths in plants, embryonic PCD is hallmarked by autophagic degradation of the cytoplasm and nuclear disassembly that includes breakdown of the nuclear envelope and DNA fragmentation. The optimized setup of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) allows the routine in situ analysis of nuclear DNA fragmentation in plant embryos. This chapter provides step-by-step procedure of how to process embryos for TUNEL and how to combine TUNEL with immunolocalization of the protein of interest.

Comparison of the dose-response relationship of radiation-induced apoptosis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus and intestinal crypt of adult mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, J. S.; Yang, M.; Kim, J.; Lee, D.; Kim, J. C.; Shin, T.; Kim, S. H.; Moon, C.

2012-01-01

The present study compared the dose-response curves for the frequency of apoptosis in mouse hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) and intestinal crypt using whole-body gamma irradiation. The incidence of gamma-ray-induced apoptosis was measured using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end-labelling (TUNEL) method. TUNEL-positive apoptotic nuclei in the DG and intestinal crypt were increased in a dose-dependent pattern (0-2 Gy). The dose-response curves were linear-quadratic, with a significant relationship between the appearance of apoptosis and irradiation dose. The slopes of the dose-response curves in the DG were much steeper (∼5-6-fold) than those in the intestinal crypt within the range of 0-1 Gy exposure. Hippocampal DG might be a more effective and sensitive evaluation structure than the intestinal crypt to estimate the degree of radiation exposure in damaged organs of adult mice exposed to low irradiation dose. copy; The Author 2011. Published by Oxford Univ. Press. All rights reserved. (authors)

Activation of calcium-sensing receptor accelerates apoptosis in hyperplastic parathyroid cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizobuchi, Masahide; Ogata, Hiroaki; Hatamura, Ikuji; Saji, Fumie; Koiwa, Fumihiko; Kinugasa, Eriko; Koshikawa, Shozo; Akizawa, Tadao

2007-01-01

Calcimimetic compounds inhibit not only parathyroid hormone (PTH) synthesis and secretion, but also parathyroid cell proliferation. The aim of this investigation is to examine the effect of the calcimimetic compound NPS R-568 (R-568) on parathyroid cell death in uremic rats. Hyperplastic parathyroid glands were obtained from uremic rats (subtotal nephrectomy and high-phosphorus diet), and incubated in the media only or the media which contained high concentration of R-568 (10 -4 M), or 10% cyclodextrin, for 6 h. R-568 treatment significantly suppressed medium PTH concentration compared with that of the other two groups. R-568 treatment not only increased the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay-positive cells, but also induced the morphologic changes of cell death determined by light or electron microscopy. These results suggest that CaR activation by R-568 accelerates parathyroid cell death, probably through an apoptotic mechanism in uremic rats in vitro

Epidermal growth factor regulation of glutathione S-transferase gene expression in the rat is mediated by class Pi glutathione S-transferase enhancer I.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, M; Imagawa, M; Aoki, Y

2000-07-01

Using chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assays we showed that epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha), and 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PenCB) induce class Pi glutathione S-transferase (GSTP1) in primary cultured rat liver parenchymal cells. GSTP1 enhancer I (GPEI), which is required for the stimulation of GSTP1 expression by PenCB, also mediates EGF and TGF alpha stimulation of GSTP1 gene expression. However, hepatocyte growth factor and insulin did not stimulate GPEI-mediated gene expression. On the other hand, the antioxidant reagents butylhydroxyanisole and t-butylhydroquinone, stimulated GPEI-mediated gene expression, but the level of GSTP1 mRNA was not elevated. Our observations suggest that EGF and TGF alpha induce GSTP1 by the same signal transduction pathway as PenCB. Since the sequence of GPEI is similar to that of the antioxidant responsive element (ARE), some factors which bind to ARE might play a role in GPEI-mediated gene expression.

Nick translation detection in situ of cellular DNA strand break induced by radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maehara, Y.; Anai, H.; Kusumoto, T.; Sakaguchi, Y.; Sugimachi, K.

1989-01-01

DNA strand break in HeLa cells induced by radiation was detected using the in situ nick translation method. The cells were exposed to radiation of 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 Gy in Lab-Tek tissue culture chamber/slides and were fixed with ethanol/acetic acid on the slide glass. The break sites in DNA were translated artificially in the presence of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I and [ 3 H]-labeled dTTP. Autoradiographic observation was made of the level of break sites in the DNA. The DNA strand break appeared even with a 3 Gy exposure, increased 8.6 times at 24 Gy compared with the control cells, and this level correlated reciprocally to change in cell viability. This nick translation method provides a rapid in situ assay for determining radiation-induced DNA damage of cultured cells, in a semi-quantitative manner

Chlorella vulgaris triggers apoptosis in hepatocarcinogenesis-induced rats*

Science.gov (United States)

Mohd Azamai, Emey Suhana; Sulaiman, Suhaniza; Mohd Habib, Shafina Hanim; Looi, Mee Lee; Das, Srijit; Abdul Hamid, Nor Aini; Wan Ngah, Wan Zurinah; Mohd Yusof, Yasmin Anum

2009-01-01

Chlorella vulgaris (CV) has been reported to have antioxidant and anticancer properties. We evaluated the effect of CV on apoptotic regulator protein expression in liver cancer-induced rats. Male Wistar rats (200~250 g) were divided into eight groups: control group (normal diet), CDE group (choline deficient diet supplemented with ethionine in drinking water to induce hepatocarcinogenesis), CV groups with three different doses of CV (50, 150, and 300 mg/kg body weight), and CDE groups treated with different doses of CV (50, 150, and 300 mg/kg body weight). Rats were sacrificed at various weeks and liver tissues were embedded in paraffin blocks for immunohistochemistry studies. CV, at increasing doses, decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, but increased the expression of pro-apoptotic protein, caspase 8, in CDE rats, which was correlated with decreased hepatoctyes proliferation and increased apoptosis as determined by bromodeoxy-uridine (BrdU) labeling and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, respectively. Our study shows that CV has definite chemopreventive effect by inducing apoptosis via decreasing the expression of Bcl-2 and increasing the expression of caspase 8 in hepatocarcinogenesis-induced rats. PMID:19198018

Antioxidant role of glutathione S-transferases: 4-Hydroxynonenal, a key molecule in stress-mediated signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Singhal, Sharad S; Singh, Sharda P; Singhal, Preeti; Horne, David; Singhal, Jyotsana; Awasthi, Sanjay

2015-12-15

4-Hydroxy-2-trans-nonenal (4HNE), one of the major end products of lipid peroxidation (LPO), has been shown to induce apoptosis in a variety of cell lines. It appears to modulate signaling processes in more than one way because it has been suggested to have a role in signaling for differentiation and proliferation. It has been known that glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) can reduce lipid hydroperoxides through their Se-independent glutathione-peroxidase activity and that these enzymes can also detoxify LPO end-products such as 4HNE. Available evidence from earlier studies together with results of recent studies in our laboratories strongly suggests that LPO products, particularly hydroperoxides and 4HNE, are involved in the mechanisms of stress-mediated signaling and that it can be modulated by the alpha-class GSTs through the regulation of the intracellular concentrations of 4HNE. We demonstrate that 4HNE induced apoptosis in various cell lines is accompanied with c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) and caspase-3 activation. Cells exposed to mild, transient heat or oxidative stress acquire the capacity to exclude intracellular 4HNE at a faster rate by inducing GSTA4-4 which conjugates 4HNE to glutathione (GSH), and RLIP76 which mediates the ATP-dependent transport of the GSH-conjugate of 4HNE (GS-HNE). The balance between formation and exclusion promotes different cellular processes - higher concentrations of 4HNE promote apoptosis; whereas, lower concentrations promote proliferation. In this article, we provide a brief summary of the cellular effects of 4HNE, followed by a review of its GST-catalyzed detoxification, with an emphasis on the structural attributes that play an important role in the interactions with alpha-class GSTA4-4. Taken together, 4HNE is a key signaling molecule and that GSTs being determinants of its intracellular concentrations, can regulate stress-mediated signaling, are reviewed in this article. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights

Hyperoxygenated hydrogen-rich solution suppresses shock- and resuscitation-induced liver injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Dang, Yangjie; Liu, Ting; Mei, Xiaopeng; Meng, Xiangzhong; Gou, Xingchun; Deng, Bin; Xu, Hao; Xu, Lixian

2017-12-01

It is not known whether simultaneous delivery of hydrogen and oxygen can reduce injury caused by hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HSR). This study investigated the therapeutic potential of hyperoxygenated hydrogen-rich solution (HHOS), a combined hydrogen/oxygen carrier, in a rat model of HSR-induced liver injury. Rats (n = 60) were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 6 per group at each time point). One group underwent sham operation, and the others were subjected to severe hemorrhagic shock and then treated with lactated Ringer's solution (LRS), hydrogen-rich solution, hyperoxygenated solution, or HHOS. At 2 and 6 h after resuscitation, blood samples (n = 6) were collected from the femoral artery and serum concentrations of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured. Rats were then sacrificed, and histopathological changes in the liver were evaluated by quantifying the percentage of apoptotic cells by caspase-3 immunohistochemistry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling. Inflammation was assessed by assessing malondialdehyde content and tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin (IL)-6 expression. Compared to lactated Ringer's solution, hydrogen-rich solution, or hyperoxygenated solution groups, serum AST and alanine aminotransferase levels and IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and malondialdehyde expression in liver tissue were decreased by HHOS treatment. The number of caspase-3- and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling-positive cells was decreased (P < 0.05) by HHOS treatment, 2 and 6 h after resuscitation. HHOS has protective effects against liver injury in a rat model of HSR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bypass of a nick by the replisome of bacteriophage T7.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Bin; Lee, Seung-Joo; Richardson, Charles C

2011-08-12

DNA polymerase and DNA helicase are essential components of DNA replication. The helicase unwinds duplex DNA to provide single-stranded templates for DNA synthesis by the DNA polymerase. In bacteriophage T7, movement of either the DNA helicase or the DNA polymerase alone terminates upon encountering a nick in duplex DNA. Using a minicircular DNA, we show that the helicase · polymerase complex can bypass a nick, albeit at reduced efficiency of 7%, on the non-template strand to continue rolling circle DNA synthesis. A gap in the non-template strand cannot be bypassed. The efficiency of bypass synthesis depends on the DNA sequence downstream of the nick. A nick on the template strand cannot be bypassed. Addition of T7 single-stranded DNA-binding protein to the complex stimulates nick bypass 2-fold. We propose that the association of helicase with the polymerase prevents dissociation of the helicase upon encountering a nick, allowing the helicase to continue unwinding of the duplex downstream of the nick.

The preparation of radioactivity labelled DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ballance, P.; Morgan, J.; McGregor, G.; Durkacz, B.

1984-01-01

The nick translation reaction, which uses the endonuclease enzyme to incorporate pieces of DNA into the genetic material of other organisms, is being used more and more in Molecular Biology research for the preparation of pure DNA labelled with 32 P. However results are presented which show that high radiation doses are received by the hands of nick translation workers. A Scheme of Work to reduce these doses is described. (author)

Bypass of a Nick by the Replisome of Bacteriophage T7*

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Bin; Lee, Seung-Joo; Richardson, Charles C.

2011-01-01

DNA polymerase and DNA helicase are essential components of DNA replication. The helicase unwinds duplex DNA to provide single-stranded templates for DNA synthesis by the DNA polymerase. In bacteriophage T7, movement of either the DNA helicase or the DNA polymerase alone terminates upon encountering a nick in duplex DNA. Using a minicircular DNA, we show that the helicase·polymerase complex can bypass a nick, albeit at reduced efficiency of 7%, on the non-template strand to continue rolling circle DNA synthesis. A gap in the non-template strand cannot be bypassed. The efficiency of bypass synthesis depends on the DNA sequence downstream of the nick. A nick on the template strand cannot be bypassed. Addition of T7 single-stranded DNA-binding protein to the complex stimulates nick bypass 2-fold. We propose that the association of helicase with the polymerase prevents dissociation of the helicase upon encountering a nick, allowing the helicase to continue unwinding of the duplex downstream of the nick. PMID:21701044

Labelling of end-of-life decisions by physicians

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deyaert, J.; Chambaere, K.; Cohen, J.; Roelands, M.; Deliens, L.

2014-01-01

Objectives: Potentially life-shortening medical end-oflife practices (end-of-life decisions (ELDs)) remain subject to conceptual vagueness. This study evaluates how physicians label these practices by examining which of their own practices (described according to the precise act, the intention, the

The relationship between apoptosis and the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and the clinical stages in gastric carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, K; Chen, D; Tian, Y; Lu, X; Yang, X

2000-01-01

The relationship between the apoptosis and the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and the clinical stages in gastric cancers was studied. By using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) technique and PCNA immunohistochemical staining, the apoptosis and the expression of PCNA in tissue of gastric carcinoma were assayed in situ, the index of apoptosis (AI), index of PCNA (PI) and the rate of AI/PI were calculated. AI and PI in gastric cancer tissues were (6.5 +/- 3.7)% and (49.8 +/- 15.9)% respectively, and the rate of AI/PI was 0.13 +/- 0.05, which were obviously different from those of normal gastric mucosa in paragastric cancer (P stages of gastric carcinoma, the AI was decreased, PI was increased and the rate of AI/PI decreased in gastric carcinoma. There was significant difference in them between the gastric cancer tissues and normal gastric mucosa in pericarcinoma in TNM stage II to IV (P gastric carcinoma. The AI, PI and the rate of AI/PI would become the prognostic factors in advanced gastric carcinoma.

Bacterial reduction in genotoxicity of Direct Red 28 dye.

Science.gov (United States)

Bafana, Amit; Jain, Minakshi; Agrawal, Gaurav; Chakrabarti, Tapan

2009-03-01

Direct Red 28 (DR28) is a benzidine-based azo dye widely used in several countries. It has also been a subject of intense research for its anti-prion activity. Like other benzidine-based azo dyes, it is also carcinogenic and toxic. However, there are very few studies addressing its detoxification. In the present study, a Bacillus velezensis strain was used for detoxification of DR28. Toxicity was checked by a battery of highly sensitive genotoxicity assays like comet assay, DNA ladder formation, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay and flow cytometric Annexin V binding assay. HL-60 cell line was used as the test system. All the assays showed an initial increase in toxicity upon biodegradation due to release of mutagenic products, like benzidine and 4-aminobiphenyl, from the dye. These intermediates caused significant DNA damage and induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells. Then the culture degraded these mutagenic intermediates, due to which the toxicity was reduced gradually, finally resulting in nearly complete detoxification.

Effects of Hormone Deprivation, 2-Methoxyestradiol Combination Therapy on Hormone-Dependent Prostate Cancer In Vivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fuminori Sato

2005-09-01

Full Text Available 2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME has potent anti proliferative effects on cancer cells. Its utility alone or in combination with other therapies for treating prostate cancer, however, has not been fully explored. Androgendependent, independent human prostate cancer cells were examined in vivo for their response to combination therapy. Efficacy was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay, measuring microvessel density (MVD in excised tumors. Animals harboring hormonedependent tumors treated with 2-ME alone, androgen deprivation therapy alone, or the combination of the two had a 3.1-fold, 5.3-fold, 10.1-fold increase in apoptosis, respectively. For hormone-independent tumors, treatment with 2-ME resulted in a 2.43-fold increase in apoptosis, a 73% decrease in MVD. 2-ME was most effective against hormone-dependent tumors in vivo, combination therapy resulted in a significant increase in efficacy compared to no treatment controls, trended toward greater efficacy than either 2-ME or androgen deprivation alone. Combination therapy should be investigated further as an additional therapeutic option for early prostate cancer.

Effect of radon and its progeny on the expression and mutation of p53 in lung tissues of mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piao Chunnan; Tian Mei; Liu Jianxiang; Ruan Jianlei; Su Xu

2010-01-01

Objective: To explore the effect of radon and its progeny on the expression and mutations of p53 in lung tissue of mouse model. Methods: Apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidy transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling. The expression of p53 gene was analyzed by immunohistochemistry, Western blot and realtime-PCR. PCR-SSCP was used to detect the mutation of p53 in lung tissues. Results: Compared with those in the control group, the apoptotic index were increased significantly in 30 WLM and 60 WLM groups (t=18.11, -10.30, P<0.05). The p53 protein was increased significantly (t=-11.08, P<0.05; t=-7.00, P<0.05) in 30 WLM and 60 WLM groups. The mutation of p53 gene was not detected in lungs of radon-exposure mice. Conclusions: Lung and bronchus might be the targets of radon and its progeny, and p53 gene plays an important role in the progression of radon-induced lung injury. (authors)

Roman for unge - og deres voksne - fra Nick Hornby

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haarder, Jon Helt

2007-01-01

Nick Hornby: SLAM. Oversat fra engelsk. af Jan Hansen. 280 sider, 249 kr. Lindhardt og Ringhof. Fire stjerner Udgivelsesdato: 071207......Nick Hornby: SLAM. Oversat fra engelsk. af Jan Hansen. 280 sider, 249 kr. Lindhardt og Ringhof. Fire stjerner Udgivelsesdato: 071207...

A systematic review on sperm DNA fragmentation in male factor infertility: Laboratory assessment

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Manesh Kumar Panner Selvam

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To review sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF testing as an important sperm function test in addition to conventional semen analysis. High SDF is negatively associated with semen quality, the fertilisation process, embryo quality, and pregnancy outcome. Over recent decades, different SDF assays have been developed and reviewed extensively to assess their applicability and accuracy as advanced sperm function tests. Amongst them, the standardisation of the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferased UTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL assay with a bench top flow cytometer in clinical practice deserves special mention with a threshold value of 16.8% to differentiate infertile men with DNA damage from fertile men. Materials and methods: A systematic literature search was performed through the PubMed, Medline, and ScienceDirect databases using the keywords ‘sperm DNA fragmentation’ and ‘laboratory assessment’. Non-English articles were excluded and studies related to humans were only included. Results: Of the 618 identified, 87 studies (original research and reviews and in addition eight book chapters meeting the selection criteria were included in this review. In all, 366 articles were rejected in the preliminary screening and a further 165 articles related to non-human subjects were excluded. Conclusion: There are pros and cons to all the available SDF assays. TUNEL is a reliable technique with greater accuracy and as an additional diagnostic test in Andrology laboratories along with basic semen analysis can predict fertility outcome, and thus direct the choice of an assisted reproductive technology procedure for infertile couples. Also, the TUNEL assay can be used as a prognostic test and results are beneficial in deciding personalised treatment for infertile men. Keywords: Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF, Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferased UTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL, DNA damage, Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF assay

Population control of resident and immigrant microglia by mitosis and apoptosis.

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Wirenfeldt, Martin; Dissing-Olesen, Lasse; Anne Babcock, Alicia; Nielsen, Marianne; Meldgaard, Michael; Zimmer, Jens; Azcoitia, Iñigo; Leslie, Robert Graham Quinton; Dagnaes-Hansen, Frederik; Finsen, Bente

2007-08-01

Microglial population expansion occurs in response to neural damage via processes that involve mitosis and immigration of bone marrow-derived cells. However, little is known of the mechanisms that regulate clearance of reactive microglia, when microgliosis diminishes days to weeks later. We have investigated the mechanisms of microglial population control in a well-defined model of reactive microgliosis in the mouse dentate gyrus after perforant pathway axonal lesion. Unbiased stereological methods and flow cytometry demonstrate significant lesion-induced increases in microglial numbers. Reactive microglia often occurred in clusters, some having recently incorporated bromodeoxyuridine, showing that proliferation had occurred. Annexin V labeling and staining for activated caspase-3 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling showed that apoptotic mechanisms participate in dissolution of the microglial response. Using bone marrow chimeric mice, we found that the lesion-induced proliferative capacity of resident microglia superseded that of immigrant microglia, whereas lesion-induced kinetics of apoptosis were comparable. Microglial numbers and responses were severely reduced in bone marrow chimeric mice. These results broaden our understanding of the microglial response to neural damage by demonstrating that simultaneously occurring mitosis and apoptosis regulate expansion and reduction of both resident and immigrant microglial cell populations.

Effects of Urtica dioica on oxidative stress, proliferation and apoptosis after partial hepatectomy in rats.

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Oguz, Serhat; Kanter, Mehmet; Erboga, Mustafa; Toydemir, Toygar; Sayhan, Mustafa Burak; Onur, Hatice

2015-05-01

The present study was performed to investigate the effect of Urtica dioica (UD) on liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH) in rats. A total of 24 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups: sham-operated, PH and PH + UD; each group contains eight animals. The rats in UD-treated groups were given UD oils (2 ml/kg/day) once a day orally for 7 days starting 3 days prior to hepatectomy operation. At day 7 after resection, liver samples were collected. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) were estimated in liver homogenates. Moreover, histopathological examination, mitotic index (MI), proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling, proliferation index (PI), transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling assay, apoptotic index (AI) were evaluated at day 7 after hepatectomy. As a result, UD significantly increased MI and PI, significantly decreased AI and also attenuated hepatic vacuolar degeneration and sinusoidal congestion in PH rats. UD treatment significantly decreased the elevated tissue MDA level and increased the reduced SOD activity and GSH level in the tissues. These results suggest that UD pretreatment was beneficial for rat liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy. © The Author(s) 2013.

Labelling of end-of-life decisions by physicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Deyaert, Jef; Chambaere, Kenneth; Cohen, Joachim; Roelands, Marc; Deliens, Luc

2014-07-01

Potentially life-shortening medical end-of-life practices (end-of-life decisions (ELDs)) remain subject to conceptual vagueness. This study evaluates how physicians label these practices by examining which of their own practices (described according to the precise act, the intention, the presence of an explicit patient request and the self-estimated degree of life shortening)they label as euthanasia or sedation. We conducted a large stratified random sample of death certificates from 2007 (N=6927).The physicians named on the death certificate were approached by means of a postal questionnaire asking about ELDs made in each case and asked to choose the most appropriate label to describe the ELD. Response rate was 58.4%. In the vast majority of practices labelled as euthanasia, the self-reported actions of the physicians corresponded with the definition in the Belgian euthanasia legislation; practices labelled as palliative or terminal sedation lack clear correspondence with definitions of sedation as presented in existing guidelines. In these cases, an explicit life-shortening intention by means of drug administration was present in 21.6%, life shortening was estimated at more than 24 h in 51% and an explicit patient request was absentin 79.7%. Our results suggest that, unlike euthanasia,the concept of palliative or terminal sedation covers abroad range of practices in the minds of physicians. This ambiguity can be a barrier to appropriate sedation practice and indicates a need for better knowledge of the practice of palliative sedation by physicians.

Effect of SMAD7 gene overexpression on TGF-β1-induced profibrotic responses in fibroblasts derived from Peyronie's plaque

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min Ji Choi

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1 has been identified as one of the most important fibrogenic cytokines associated with Peyronie's disease (PD. The mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 7 (SMAD7 is an inhibitory Smad protein that blocks TGF-β signaling pathway. The aim of this study was to examine the anti-fibrotic effect of the SMAD7 gene in primary fibroblasts derived from human PD plaques. PD fibroblasts were pretreated with the SMAD7 gene and then stimulated with TGF-β1. Treated fibroblasts were used for Western blotting, fluorescent immunocytochemistry, hydroxyproline determination, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling assays. Overexpression of the SMAD7 gene inhibited TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of SMAD2 and SMAD3, transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, and quashed TGF-β1-induced production of extracellular matrix protein and hydroxyproline. Overexpression of the SMAD7 gene decreased the expression of cyclin D1 (a positive cell cycle regulator and induced the expression of poly (ADP-ribose polymerase 1, which is known to terminate Smad-mediated transcription, in PD fibroblasts. These findings suggest that the blocking of the TGF-β pathway by use of SMAD7 may be a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of PD.

Current research on methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity: animal models of monoamine disruption.

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Kita, Taizo; Wagner, George C; Nakashima, Toshikatsu

2003-07-01

Methamphetamine (METH)-induced neurotoxicity is characterized by a long-lasting depletion of striatal dopamine (DA) and serotonin as well as damage to striatal dopaminergic and serotonergic nerve terminals. Several hypotheses regarding the mechanism underlying METH-induced neurotoxicity have been proposed. In particular, it is thought that endogenous DA in the striatum may play an important role in mediating METH-induced neuronal damage. This hypothesis is based on the observation of free radical formation and oxidative stress produced by auto-oxidation of DA consequent to its displacement from synaptic vesicles to cytoplasm. In addition, METH-induced neurotoxicity may be linked to the glutamate and nitric oxide systems within the striatum. Moreover, using knockout mice lacking the DA transporter, the vesicular monoamine transporter 2, c-fos, or nitric oxide synthetase, it was determined that these factors may be connected in some way to METH-induced neurotoxicity. Finally a role for apoptosis in METH-induced neurotoxicity has also been established including evidence of protection of bcl-2, expression of p53 protein, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), activity of caspase-3. The neuronal damage induced by METH may reflect neurological disorders such as autism and Parkinson's disease.

Inhibition of carnitine-acyl transferase I by oxfenicine studied in vivo with [11C]-labeled fatty acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angsten, Gertrud; Valind, Sven; Takalo, Reijo; Neu, Henrik; Meurling, Staffan; Langstroem, Bengt

2005-01-01

Methods: Anesthetized pigs were studied with [ 11 C]-labeled fatty acids (FAs) with carbon chain length ranging from 8 to 16 carbon atoms, during control conditions and during inhibition of carnitine-palmitoyl transferase I (CPT I) with oxfenicine. The myocardial uptake of [ 11 C]-FAs from blood was measured together with the relative distribution of [ 11 C]-acyl-CoA between rapid mitochondrial oxidation and incorporation into slow turnover lipid pools in the heart. Results: During baseline conditions, the fractional oxidative utilization of palmitate was almost as high as that of carnitine-independent short-chain FAs, unless the carnitine shuttle was inhibited by high levels of lactate. Inhibition of CPT I almost completely blocked the oxidative pathway for palmitic acid and reduced the fractional oxidative utilization, while the rate of oxidative metabolism of acyl-CoA was unaffected. Conclusions: [ 11 C]-Labeled FAs allow rapid oxidation to be well separated from esterification into slow turnover lipid pools in the heart of anaesthetized pigs. The fractional oxidative utilization of [ 11 C]-palmitate serves well to characterize, in vivo, the carnitine-dependent transfer of long-chain FAs

The TCA cycle transferase DLST is important for MYC-mediated leukemogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, N M; Li, D; Peng, H L; Laroche, F J F; Mansour, M R; Gjini, E; Aioub, M; Helman, D J; Roderick, J E; Cheng, T; Harrold, I; Samaha, Y; Meng, L; Amsterdam, A; Neuberg, D S; Denton, T T; Sanda, T; Kelliher, M A; Singh, A; Look, A T; Feng, H

2016-06-01

Despite the pivotal role of MYC in the pathogenesis of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and many other cancers, the mechanisms underlying MYC-mediated tumorigenesis remain inadequately understood. Here we utilized a well-characterized zebrafish model of Myc-induced T-ALL for genetic studies to identify novel genes contributing to disease onset. We found that heterozygous inactivation of a tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzyme, dihydrolipoamide S-succinyltransferase (Dlst), significantly delayed tumor onset in zebrafish without detectable effects on fish development. DLST is the E2 transferase of the α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) dehydrogenase complex (KGDHC), which converts α-KG to succinyl-CoA in the TCA cycle. RNAi knockdown of DLST led to decreased cell viability and induction of apoptosis in human T-ALL cell lines. Polar metabolomics profiling revealed that the TCA cycle was disrupted by DLST knockdown in human T-ALL cells, as demonstrated by an accumulation of α-KG and a decrease of succinyl-CoA. Addition of succinate, the downstream TCA cycle intermediate, to human T-ALL cells was sufficient to rescue defects in cell viability caused by DLST inactivation. Together, our studies uncovered an important role for DLST in MYC-mediated leukemogenesis and demonstrated the metabolic dependence of T-lymphoblasts on the TCA cycle, thus providing implications for targeted therapy.

Development of maternal seed tissue in barley is mediated by regulated cell expansion and cell disintegration and coordinated with endosperm growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Radchuk, Volodymyr; Weier, Diana; Radchuk, Ruslana; Weschke, Winfriede; Weber, Hans

2011-01-01

After fertilization, filial grain organs are surrounded by the maternal nucellus embedded within the integuments and pericarp. Rapid early endosperm growth must be coordinated with maternal tissue development. Parameters of maternal tissue growth and development were analysed during early endosperm formation. In the pericarp, cell proliferation is accomplished around the time of fertilization, followed by cell elongation predominantly in longitudinal directions. The rapid cell expansion coincides with endosperm cellularization. Distribution of TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling)-positive nuclei reveals distinct patterns starting in the nucellus at anthesis and followed later by the inner cell rows of the pericarp, then spreading to the whole pericarp. The pattern suggests timely and spatially regulated programmed cell death (PCD) processes in maternal seed tissues. When the endosperm is coenocytic, PCD events are only observed within the nucellus. Thereby, remobilization of nucellar storage compounds by PCD could nourish the early developing endosperm when functional interconnections are absent between maternal and filial seed organs. Specific proteases promote PCD events. Characterization of the barley vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE) gene family identified seven gene members specifically expressed in the developing grain. HvVPE2a (known as nucellain) together with closely similar HvVPE2b and HvVPE2d might be involved in nucellar PCD. HvVPE4 is strongly cell specific for pericarp parenchyma. Correlative evidence suggests that HvVPE4 plays a role in PCD events in the pericarp. Possible functions of PCD in the maternal tissues imply a potential nutritive role or the relief of a physical restraint for endosperm growth. PCD could also activate post-phloem transport functions.

Glutathione transferase-mediated benzimidazole-resistance in Fusarium graminearum.

Science.gov (United States)

Sevastos, A; Labrou, N E; Flouri, F; Malandrakis, A

2017-09-01

Fusarium graminearum laboratory mutants moderately (MR) and highly (HR) benzimidazole-resistant, carrying or not target-site mutations at the β 2 -tubulin gene were utilized in an attempt to elucidate the biochemical mechanism(s) underlying the unique BZM-resistance paradigm of this fungal plant pathogen. Relative expression analysis in the presence or absence of carbendazim (methyl-2-benzimidazole carbamate) using a quantitative Real Time qPCR (RT-qPCR) revealed differences between resistant and the wild-type parental strain although no differences in expression levels of either β 1 - or β 2 -tubulin homologue genes were able to fully account for two of the highly resistant phenotypes. Glutathione transferase (GST)-mediated detoxification was shown to be -at least partly- responsible for the elevated resistance levels of a HR isolate bearing the β 2 -tubulin Phe200Tyr resistance mutation compared with another MR isolate carrying the same mutation. This benzimidazole-resistance mechanism is reported for the first time in F. graminearum. No indications of detoxification involved in benzimidazole resistance were found for the rest of the isolates as revealed by GST and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and bioassays using monoxygenase and hydrolase detoxification enzyme inhibiting synergists. Interestingly, besides the Phe200Tyr mutation-carrying HR isolate, the remaining highly-carbendazim resistant phenotypes could not be associated with any of the target site modification/overproduction, detoxification or reduced uptake-increased efflux mechanisms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DNA fragments assembly based on nicking enzyme system.

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Rui-Yan Wang

Full Text Available A couple of DNA ligation-independent cloning (LIC methods have been reported to meet various requirements in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. The principle of LIC is the assembly of multiple overlapping DNA fragments by single-stranded (ss DNA overlaps annealing. Here we present a method to generate single-stranded DNA overlaps based on Nicking Endonucleases (NEases for LIC, the method was termed NE-LIC. Factors related to cloning efficiency were optimized in this study. This NE-LIC allows generating 3'-end or 5'-end ss DNA overlaps of various lengths for fragments assembly. We demonstrated that the 10 bp/15 bp overlaps had the highest DNA fragments assembling efficiency, while 5 bp/10 bp overlaps showed the highest efficiency when T4 DNA ligase was added. Its advantage over Sequence and Ligation Independent Cloning (SLIC and Uracil-Specific Excision Reagent (USER was obvious. The mechanism can be applied to many other LIC strategies. Finally, the NEases based LIC (NE-LIC was successfully applied to assemble a pathway of six gene fragments responsible for synthesizing microbial poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB.

The retrograde delivery of adenovirus vector carrying the gene for brain-derived neurotrophic factor protects neurons and oligodendrocytes from apoptosis in the chronically compressed spinal cord of twy/twy mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Uchida, Kenzo; Nakajima, Hideaki; Hirai, Takayuki; Yayama, Takafumi; Chen, Kebing; Guerrero, Alexander Rodriguez; Johnson, William Eustace; Baba, Hisatoshi

2012-12-15

The twy/twy mouse undergoes spontaneous chronic mechanical compression of the spinal cord; this in vivo model system was used to examine the effects of retrograde adenovirus (adenoviral vector [AdV])-mediated brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene delivery to spinal neural cells. To investigate the targeting and potential neuroprotective effect of retrograde AdV-mediated BDNF gene transfection in the chronically compressed spinal cord in terms of prevention of apoptosis of neurons and oligodendrocytes. Several studies have investigated the neuroprotective effects of neurotrophins, including BDNF, in spinal cord injury. However, no report has described the effects of retrograde neurotrophic factor gene delivery in compressed spinal cords, including gene targeting and the potential to prevent neural cell apoptosis. AdV-BDNF or AdV-LacZ (as a control gene) was injected into the bilateral sternomastoid muscles of 18-week old twy/twy mice for retrograde gene delivery via the spinal accessory motor neurons. Heterozygous Institute of Cancer Research mice (+/twy), which do not undergo spontaneous spinal compression, were used as a control for the effects of such compression on gene delivery. The localization and cell specificity of β-galactosidase expression (produced by LacZ gene transfection) and BDNF expression in the spinal cord were examined by coimmunofluorescence staining for neural cell markers (NeuN, neurons; reactive immunology protein, oligodendrocytes; glial fibrillary acidic protein, astrocytes; OX-42, microglia) 4 weeks after gene injection. The possible neuroprotection afforded by retrograde AdV-BDNF gene delivery versus AdV-LacZ-transfected control mice was assessed by scoring the prevalence of apoptotic cells (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling-positive cells) and immunoreactivity to active caspases -3, -8, and -9, p75, neurofilament 200 kD (NF), and for the oligodendroglial progenitor marker, NG2. RESULTS

Including 10-Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network under End-to-End Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching Provisioned Quality of Service

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brewka, Lukasz Jerzy; Gavler, Anders; Wessing, Henrik

2012-01-01

of the network where quality of service signaling is bridged. This article proposes strategies for generalized multi-protocol label switching control over next emerging passive optical network standard, i.e., the 10-gigabit-capable passive optical network. Node management and resource allocation approaches...... are discussed, and possible issues are raised. The analysis shows that consideration of a 10-gigabit-capable passive optical network as a generalized multi-protocol label switching controlled domain is valid and may advance end-to-end quality of service provisioning for passive optical network based customers.......End-to-end quality of service provisioning is still a challenging task despite many years of research and development in this area. Considering a generalized multi-protocol label switching based core/metro network and resource reservation protocol capable home gateways, it is the access part...

Inhibition of carnitine-acyl transferase I by oxfenicine studied in vivo with [{sup 11}C]-labeled fatty acids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Angsten, Gertrud [Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children' s Hospital, S-751 85 Uppsala (Sweden)]. E-mail: gertrud.angsten@surgsci.uu.se; Valind, Sven [Uppsala University PET Centre, Uppsala University, S-751 05 Uppsala (Sweden); Department of Clinical Physiology, University Hospital, S-751 85 Uppsala (Sweden); Takalo, Reijo [Uppsala University PET Centre, Uppsala University, S-751 05 Uppsala (Sweden); Department of Clinical Physiology, University Hospital, S-751 85 Uppsala (Sweden); Neu, Henrik [Uppsala University PET Centre, Uppsala University, S-751 05 Uppsala (Sweden); Department of Organic Chemistry, Uppsala University, S-751 24 Uppsala (Sweden); Meurling, Staffan [Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children' s Hospital, S-751 85 Uppsala (Sweden); Langstroem, Bengt [Uppsala University PET Centre, Uppsala University, S-751 05 Uppsala (Sweden); Department of Organic Chemistry, Uppsala University, S-751 24 Uppsala (Sweden)

2005-07-01

Methods: Anesthetized pigs were studied with [{sup 11}C]-labeled fatty acids (FAs) with carbon chain length ranging from 8 to 16 carbon atoms, during control conditions and during inhibition of carnitine-palmitoyl transferase I (CPT I) with oxfenicine. The myocardial uptake of [{sup 11}C]-FAs from blood was measured together with the relative distribution of [{sup 11}C]-acyl-CoA between rapid mitochondrial oxidation and incorporation into slow turnover lipid pools in the heart. Results: During baseline conditions, the fractional oxidative utilization of palmitate was almost as high as that of carnitine-independent short-chain FAs, unless the carnitine shuttle was inhibited by high levels of lactate. Inhibition of CPT I almost completely blocked the oxidative pathway for palmitic acid and reduced the fractional oxidative utilization, while the rate of oxidative metabolism of acyl-CoA was unaffected. Conclusions: [{sup 11}C]-Labeled FAs allow rapid oxidation to be well separated from esterification into slow turnover lipid pools in the heart of anaesthetized pigs. The fractional oxidative utilization of [{sup 11}C]-palmitate serves well to characterize, in vivo, the carnitine-dependent transfer of long-chain FAs.

Application of Photoshop-based image analysis and TUNEL for the distribution and quantification of dexamethasone-induced apoptotic cells in rat thymus.

Science.gov (United States)

Hussar, Piret; Tokin, Ivan; Hussar, Ulo; Filimonova, Galina; Suuroja, Toivo

2006-01-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the target site cells in the rat thymus after exposure to the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, at therapeutic doses. The findings of histology and histochemistry (Feulgen, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling--TUNEL) with quantification by computerized histomorphometry are described. A quantified investigation of apoptotic and mitotic thymic lymphocytes in 36 young adult Wistar rats was performed at 1-7 days after a 3-day injection of dexamethasone (a total dose of 1.2 mg/rat intraperitoneally). At the first day after dexamethasone administration the moderate involution and atrophy of thymus histology were observed with simultaneous fall in cortical cellularity and mitotic activity of thymocytes. More rapid fall appeared in the inner cortex. The number of apoptotic (TUNEL-positive) cells was significantly increased. On the days 5 and 7 the expression of apoptosis and the cell proliferation were at almost normal level. The findings suggest that dexamethasone-induced apoptosis of cortical thymic lymphocytes, mainly correlated with synchronous inhibition of mitosis and cell number fall in thymus. The main target sites of dexamethasone injury were cells in the inner cortex of lobuli thymi.

Expression of caspase-3 predicts prognosis in advanced noncardia gastric cancer.

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Amptoulach, Sousana; Lazaris, Andreas C; Giannopoulou, Ioanna; Kavantzas, Nikolaos; Patsouris, Efstratios; Tsavaris, Nikolaos

2015-01-01

There is strong evidence that tumor growth is not only a result of uncontrolled cell proliferation but also of decreased apoptosis. Caspase-3 is a member of interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme which is involved in the induction of apoptosis. Data on the expression of caspase-3 in patients with gastric cancer and its association with patient outcome are somewhat contradictory. We aimed to investigate the potential relation of the expression of caspase-3 protein with response to therapy and overall survival in patients with advanced noncardia gastric cancer. Tumor tissue samples collected from 359 consecutive patients with gastric cancer stage IV were retrospectively analyzed for the expression of caspase-3 in the primary tumor. The DNA apoptotic index assessed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling method. All patients were followed up until death. Caspase-3 was expressed in 43.5 % of tumors. Caspase-3 expression compared to no expression was related with a higher DNA apoptotic index (p gastric cancer is a predictor of poor response to treatment and survival. Further studies are needed to fully elucidate the prognostic value of caspase-3 expression in these patients.

Lower sperm DNA fragmentation after r-FSH administration in functional hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruvolo, Giovanni; Roccheri, Maria Carmela; Brucculeri, Anna Maria; Longobardi, Salvatore; Cittadini, Ettore; Bosco, Liana

2013-04-01

An observational clinical and molecular study was designed to evaluate the effects of the administration of recombinant human FSH on sperm DNA fragmentation in men with a non-classical form of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. In the study were included 53 men with a non-classical form of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. In all patients, sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) in situ DNA nick end-labelling (TUNEL) assay, was evaluated before starting the treatment with 150 IU of recombinant human FSH, given three times a week for at least 3 months. Patients' semen analysis and DNA fragmentation index were re-evaluated after the 3-month treatment period. After recombinant human FSH therapy, we did not find any differences in terms of sperm count, motility and morphology. The average DNA fragmentation index was significantly reduced (21.15 vs 15.2, p15 %), while no significant variation occurred in the patients with DFI values ≤ 15 %. Recombinant human FSH administration improves sperm DNA integrity in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia men with DNA fragmentation index value >15 % .

Antenatal taurine reduces cerebral cell apoptosis in fetal rats with intrauterine growth restriction.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jing; Wang, Xiaofeng; Liu, Ying; Yang, Na; Xu, Jing; Ren, Xiaotun

2013-08-15

From pregnancy to parturition, Sprague-Dawley rats were daily administered a low protein diet to establish a model of intrauterine growth restriction. From the 12(th) day of pregnancy, 300 mg/kg rine was daily added to food until spontaneous delivery occurred. Brain tissues from normal neonatal rats at 6 hours after delivery, neonatal rats with intrauterine growth restriction, and neonatal rats with intrauterine growth restriction undergoing taurine supplement were obtained for further experiments. The terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated biotin-16-dUTP nick-end labeling assay revealed that the number of apoptotic cells in the brain tissue of neonatal rats with intrauterine growth restriction significantly increased. Taurine supplement in pregnant rats reduced cell apoptosis in brain tissue from neonatal rats with intrauterine growth restriction. nohistochemical staining revealed that taurine supplement increased glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor expression and decreased caspase-3 expression in the cerebral cortex of intrauterine growth-restricted fetal rats. These results indicate that taurine supplement reduces cell apoptosis through the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor-caspase-3 signaling pathway, resulting in a protective effect on the intrauterine growth-restricted fetal rat brain.

Study on cognition disorder and morphologic change of neurons in hippocampus area following traumatic brain injury in rats

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

洪军; 崔建忠; 周云涛; 高俊玲

2002-01-01

Objective:　To explore the correlation between cognition disorder and morphologic change of hippocampal neurons after traumatic brain injury (TBI). 　　Methods:　Wistar rat models with severe TBI were made by Marmarous method. The histopathological change of the neurons in the hippocampus area were studied with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated X-dUPT nick end labeling (TUNEL), respectively. The cognitive function was evaluated with the Morris water maze test. 　　Results:　The comprehensive neuronal degeneration and necrosis could be observed in CA2-3 regions of hippocampus at 3 days after injury. Apoptotic positive neurons in CA2-4 regions of hippocampus and dentate gyrus increased in the injured group at 24 hours following TBI. They peaked at 7 days and then declined. Significant impairment of spatial learning and memory was observed after injury in the rats. 　　Conclusions:　The rats have obvious disorders in spatial learning and memory after severe TBI. Meanwhile, delayed neuronal necrosis and apoptosis can be observed in the neurons in the hippocampus area. It suggests that delayed hippocampal cell death may contribute to the functional deficit.

Relationship between bcl-2, bax, beclin-1, and cathepsin-D proteins during postovulatory follicular regression in fish ovary.

Science.gov (United States)

Morais, Roberto D V S; Thomé, Ralph G; Santos, Hélio B; Bazzoli, Nilo; Rizzo, Elizete

2016-04-01

In fish ovaries, postovulatory follicles (POFs) are key biomarkers of breeding and provide an interesting model for studying the relationship between autophagy and apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the immunohistochemical expression of autophagic and apoptotic proteins to improve the knowledge on the mechanisms regulating ovarian remodeling after spawning. Females from three neotropical fish species kept in captivity were submitted to hormonal induction. After ova stripping, ovarian sections were sampled daily until 5 days postspawning (dps). Similar events of POF regression were detected by histology, terminal transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), and electron microscopy in the three species: follicular cells hypertrophy, progressive disintegration of the basement membrane, gradual closing of the follicular lumen, theca thickening, and formation of large autophagic vacuoles preceding apoptosis of the follicular cells. Autophagic and apoptotic proteins were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Morphometric analysis of the immunolabeling revealed a more intense reaction for bcl-2 and beclin-1 (BECN1) in POFs at 0 to 1 dps and for bax at 2 to 3 dps (P family, BECN1, and cathepsin-D can be involved in the regulation of ovarian remodeling in teleost fish. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Effect of jiaotai pill on pancreatic fat accumulation and islet cell apoptosis in rats with type 2 diabetes].

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Xin; Liu, De-Liang; Lu, Fu-Er; Dong, Hui; Xu, Li-Jun; Luo, Yun-Huan; Wang, Kai-Fu

2014-06-01

In this study, the rat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) model was established through tail vein injection with low dose of streptozotocin (STZ) and high fat diet for 8 weeks, and then treated with Jiaotai Pill. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), fasting serum insulin (FINS), free fatty acid(FFA) levels and blood lipid were assayed. HOMA-IR was calculated. Pancreatic pathology was performed. And pancreatic triglyceride (TG) content was examined by the lipid extraction method. Pancreatic islet cell apoptosis were detected by terminal dexynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). According to the results, the model group showed abnormal OGTT, increased FINS, HOMA-IR, FFA, lipid disorder, obvious fat accumulation and significantly increased TG content in pancreatic tissues, and enhanced pancreatic islet cell apoptosis. Compared with the model group, the Jiaotai Pill group displayed improved OGTT, reduced FINS, HOMA-IR, FFA, recovered lipid disorder, decreased fat accumulation and significantly declined TG content in pancreatic tissues, and lowered pancreatic islet cell apoptosis. In summary, Jiaotai pill could effectively treat type 2 diabetes in rats. Its mechanism may be related to the reduction in pancreatic fat accumulation and islet cell apoptosis.

Effect of GuiXiong Xiaoyi Wan in Treatment of Endometriosis on Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhixing Jin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To evaluate the effect of GuiXiong Xiaoyi Wan (GXXYW on the development of endometriosis in a rat model. Methods. Sprague-Dawley rats with surgically induced endometriosis were randomly treated with low-dose GXXYW, high-dose GXXYW, or vehicle (negative control for 28 days. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess cell proliferation in the lesions. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase- (TdT- mediated dUTP biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL method was performed to analyse the apoptosis induced by GuiXiong Xiaoyi Wan. The percentages of CD3+ lymphocytes, CD4+ lymphocytes, and CD8+ lymphocytes in the spleens of the rats were evaluated using flow cytometric analysis. Results. Treatment with GXXYW significantly decreased the lesion size, inhibited cell proliferation, and induced apoptosis in endometriotic tissue. The spleens of GXXYW-treated rats also demonstrated a significant increase in the percentage of CD4+ lymphocytes and a significant decrease in the percentage of CD8+ lymphocytes. Conclusions. These results suggest that, in a rat model, GXXYW may be effective in the suppression of the growth of endometriosis, possibly through the inhibition of cell proliferation, the induction of apoptosis of endometriotic cells, and the regulation of the immune system.

Testosterone Depletion by Castration May Protect Mice from Heat-Induced Multiple Organ Damage and Lethality

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Ruei-Tang Cheng

2010-01-01

Full Text Available When the vehicle-treated, sham-operated mice underwent heat stress, the fraction survival and core temperature at +4 h of body heating were found to be 5 of 15 and 34.4∘C±0.3∘C, respectively. Castration 2 weeks before the start of heat stress decreased the plasma levels of testosterone almost to zero, protected the mice from heat-induced death (fraction survival, 13/15 and reduced the hypothermia (core temperature, 37.3∘C. The beneficial effects of castration in ameliorating lethality and hypothermia can be significantly reduced by testosterone replacement. Heat-induced apoptosis, as indicated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl- transferase- mediatedαUDP-biotin nick end-labeling staining, were significantly prevented by castration. In addition, heat-induced neuronal damage, as indicated by cell shrinkage and pyknosis of nucleus, to the hypothalamus was also castration-prevented. Again, the beneficial effects of castration in reducing neuronal damage to the hypothalamus as well as apoptosis in multiple organs during heatstroke, were significantly reversed by testosterone replacement. The data indicate that testosterone depletion by castration may protect mice from heatstroke-induced multiple organ damage and lethality.

HaloTag protein-mediated specific labeling of living cells with quantum dots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

So, Min-kyung; Yao Hequan; Rao Jianghong

2008-01-01

Quantum dots emerge as an attractive alternative to small molecule fluorophores as fluorescent tags for in vivo cell labeling and imaging. This communication presents a method for specific labeling of live cells using quantum dots. The labeling is mediated by HaloTag protein expressed at the cell surface which forms a stable covalent adduct with its ligand (HaloTag ligand). The labeling can be performed in one single step with quantum dot conjugates that are functionalized with HaloTag ligand, or in two steps with biotinylated HaloTag ligand first and followed by streptavidin coated quantum dots. Live cell fluorescence imaging indicates that the labeling is specific and takes place at the cell surface. This HaloTag protein-mediated cell labeling method should facilitate the application of quantum dots for live cell imaging

Nick Park pani Wallace'ile ja Gromitile libaküüliku needuse / Mart Rummo

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Rummo, Mart

2005-01-01

Uus animafilm "Wallace ja Gromit : Libaküüliku needus" ("Wallace & Gromit : The Curse of the Were-Rabbit") : režissöör Nick Park : Suurbritannia 2005. Selle loojast ja tema loometeest. Lisatud : Nick Park (filmograafia, auhindu), "Teised Nick Parkist" (Lauri Kaare, Mait Laas, Riho Unt)

Pre- and posttreatment with edaravone protects CA1 hippocampus and enhances neurogenesis in the subgranular zone of dentate gyrus after transient global cerebral ischemia in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Shan; Zhang, Pengbo; Li, Weisong; Gao, Ming; He, Xijing; Zheng, Juan; Li, Xu; Wang, Xiao; Wang, Ning; Zhang, Junfeng; Qi, Cunfang; Lu, Haixia; Chen, Xinlin; Liu, Yong

2014-01-01

Edaravone is clinically used for treatment of patients with acute cerebral infarction. However, the effect of double application of edaravone on neurogenesis in the hippocampus following ischemia remains unknown. In the present study, we explored whether pre- and posttreatment of edaravone had any effect on neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) in the subgranular zone of hippocampus in a rat model of transient global cerebral ischemia and elucidated the potential mechanism of its effects. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: sham-operated (n = 15), control (n = 15), and edaravone-treated (n = 15) groups. Newly generated cells were labeled by 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect neurogenesis. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling was used to detect cell apoptosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected by 2,7-dichlorofluorescien diacetate assay in NSPCs in vitro. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and cleaved caspase-3 proteins were quantified by western blot analysis. Treatment with edaravone significantly increased the number of NSPCs and newly generated neurons in the subgranular zone (p edaravone also decreased apoptosis of NSPCs (p edaravone significantly decreased ROS generation and inhibited HIF-1α and cleaved caspase-3 protein expressions. These findings indicate that pre- and posttreatment with edaravone enhances neurogenesis by protecting NSPCs from apoptosis in the hippocampus, which is probably mediated by decreasing ROS generation and inhibiting protein expressions of HIF-1α and cleaved caspase-3 after cerebral ischemia. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Pre- and Posttreatment With Edaravone Protects CA1 Hippocampus and Enhances Neurogenesis in the Subgranular Zone of Dentate Gyrus After Transient Global Cerebral Ischemia in Rats

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Shan Lei

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Edaravone is clinically used for treatment of patients with acute cerebral infarction. However, the effect of double application of edaravone on neurogenesis in the hippocampus following ischemia remains unknown. In the present study, we explored whether pre- and posttreatment of edaravone had any effect on neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs in the subgranular zone of hippocampus in a rat model of transient global cerebral ischemia and elucidated the potential mechanism of its effects. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: sham-operated (n = 15, control (n = 15, and edaravone-treated (n = 15 groups. Newly generated cells were labeled by 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect neurogenesis. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling was used to detect cell apoptosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS were detected by 2,7-dichlorofluorescien diacetate assay in NSPCs in vitro. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α and cleaved caspase-3 proteins were quantified by western blot analysis. Treatment with edaravone significantly increased the number of NSPCs and newly generated neurons in the subgranular zone (p < .05. Treatment with edaravone also decreased apoptosis of NSPCs (p < .01. Furthermore, treatment with edaravone significantly decreased ROS generation and inhibited HIF-1α and cleaved caspase-3 protein expressions. These findings indicate that pre- and posttreatment with edaravone enhances neurogenesis by protecting NSPCs from apoptosis in the hippocampus, which is probably mediated by decreasing ROS generation and inhibiting protein expressions of HIF-1α and cleaved caspase-3 after cerebral ischemia.

DJ-1 Modulates Nuclear Erythroid 2-Related Factor-2-Mediated Protection in Human Primary Alveolar Type II Cells in Smokers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahmed, Karim; Messier, Elise M; Zhou, Wenbo; Tuder, Rubin M; Freed, Curt R; Chu, Hong Wei; Kelsen, Steven G; Bowler, Russell P; Mason, Robert J; Kosmider, Beata

2016-09-01

Cigarette smoke (CS) is a main source of oxidative stress and a key risk factor for emphysema, which consists of alveolar wall destruction. Alveolar type (AT) II cells are in the gas exchange regions of the lung. We isolated primary ATII cells from deidentified organ donors whose lungs were not suitable for transplantation. We analyzed the cell injury obtained from nonsmokers, moderate smokers, and heavy smokers. DJ-1 protects cells from oxidative stress and induces nuclear erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) expression, which activates the antioxidant defense system. In ATII cells isolated from moderate smokers, we found DJ-1 expression by RT-PCR, and Nrf2 and heme oxygenase (HO)-1 translocation by Western blotting and immunocytofluorescence. In ATII cells isolated from heavy smokers, we detected Nrf2 and HO-1 cytoplasmic localization. Moreover, we found high oxidative stress, as detected by 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) (immunoblotting), inflammation by IL-8 and IL-6 levels by ELISA, and apoptosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay in ATII cells obtained from heavy smokers. Furthermore, we detected early DJ-1 and late Nrf2 expression after ATII cell treatment with CS extract. We also overexpressed DJ-1 by adenovirus construct and found that this restored Nrf2 and HO-1 expression and induced nuclear translocation in heavy smokers. Moreover, DJ-1 overexpression also decreased ATII cell apoptosis caused by CS extract in vitro. Our results indicate that DJ-1 activates the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant defense system. Furthermore, DJ-1 overexpression can restore the impaired Nrf2 pathway, leading to ATII cell protection in heavy smokers. This suggests a potential therapeutic strategy for targeting DJ-1 in CS-related lung diseases.

Interactions of photoactive DNAs with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase: Identification of peptides in the DNA binding domain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farrar, Y.J.K.; Evans, R.K.; Beach, C.M.; Coleman, M.S.

1991-01-01

Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (terminal transferase) was specifically modified in the DNA binding site by a photoactive DNA substrate (hetero-40-mer duplex containing eight 5-azido-dUMP residues at one 3' end). Under optimal photolabeling conditions, 27-40% of the DNA was covalently cross-linked to terminal transferase. The specificity of the DNA and protein interaction was demonstrated by protection of photolabeling at the DNA binding domain with natural DNA substrates. In order to recover high yields of modified peptides from limited amounts of starting material, protein modified with 32 P-labeled photoactive DNA and digested with trypsin was extracted 4 times with phenol followed by gel filtration chromatography. All peptides not cross-linked to DNA were extracted into the phenol phase while the photolyzed DNA and the covalently cross-linked peptides remained in the aqueous phase. The 32 P-containing peptide-DNA fraction was subjected to amino acid sequence analysis. Two sequences, Asp 221 -Lys 231 (peptide B8) and Cys 234 -Lys 249 (peptide B10), present in similar yield, were identified. Structure predictions placed the two peptides in an α-helical array of 39 angstrom which would accommodate a DNA helix span of 11 nucleotides. These peptides share sequence similarity with a region in DNA polymerase β that has been implicated in the binding of DNA template

Suppression of heat shock protein 70 by siRNA enhances the antitumor effects of cisplatin in cultured human osteosarcoma cells.

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Mori, Yuki; Terauchi, Ryu; Shirai, Toshiharu; Tsuchida, Shinji; Mizoshiri, Naoki; Arai, Yuji; Kishida, Tsunao; Fujiwara, Hiroyoshi; Mazda, Osam; Kubo, Toshikazu

2017-09-01

Although advances in chemotherapy have improved the prognosis for osteosarcoma, some patients do not respond sufficiently to treatment. Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is expressed at high levels in cancer cells and attenuates the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer agents, resulting in a poorer prognosis. This study investigated whether small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated inhibition of Hsp70 expression in an osteosarcoma cell line would enhance sensitivity to cisplatin. The expression of Hsp70 with cisplatin treatment was observed by using Western blotting and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Changes in the IC 50 of cisplatin when Hsp70 was inhibited by siRNA were evaluated. Cisplatin's effectiveness in inducing apoptosis was assessed by assay of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), caspase-3 activity, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Up-regulation of Hsp70 expression was dependent on the concentration of cisplatin. Inhibition of Hsp70 expression significantly reduced the IC 50 of cisplatin. When cisplatin was added to osteosarcoma cells with Hsp70 expression inhibited, a significant increase in apoptosis was demonstrated in TUNEL, caspase-3, and mitochondrial membrane potential assays. Inhibition of Hsp70 expression induced apoptosis in cultured osteosarcoma cells, indicating that Hsp70 inhibition enhanced sensitivity to cisplatin. Inhibition of Hsp70 expression may provide a new adjuvant therapy for osteosarcoma.

Inhibitory effects of CP on the growth of human gastric adenocarcinoma BGC-823 tumours in nude mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hai-Jun; Liu, Yu; Zhou, Bao-Jun; Zhang, Zhan-Xue; Li, Ai-Ying; An, Ran; Yue, Bin; Fan, Li-Qiao; Li, Yong

2018-05-01

Objective To investigate the potential antitumour effects of [2-(6-amino-purine-9-yl)-1-hydroxy-phosphine acyl ethyl] phosphonic acid (CP) against gastric adenocarcinoma. Methods Human BGC-823 xenotransplants were established in nude mice. Animals were randomly divided into control and CP groups, which were administered NaHCO 3 vehicle alone or CP dissolved in NaHCO 3 (200 µg/kg body weight) daily, respectively. Tumour volume was measured weekly for 6 weeks. Resected tumours were assayed for proliferative activity with anti-Ki-67 or anti-proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) antibodies. Cell apoptosis was examined using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) assays and with caspase-3 immunostaining. Proteins were measured by Western blotting. Results There was a significant reduction in tumour volume and a reduced percentage of Ki-67-positive or PCNA-positive cells in the CP group compared with the control group. The percentage of TUNEL-positive or caspase 3-positive cells significantly increased following CP treatment compared with the control group. Tumours from the CP group had higher levels of phosphorylated-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) and phosphorylated-AKT (p-AKT) compared with control tumours. Conclusion CP treatment inhibited tumour growth and induced tumour cell apoptosis in a nude mouse model of BGC-823 gastric adenocarcinoma. Activation of the AKT and ERK signalling pathways may mediate this antitumour activity.

Essays on the future in honor of Nick Metropolis

CERN Document Server

Rota, Gian-Carlo

2000-01-01

This collection represents a unique undertaking in scientific publishing to honor Nick Metropolis. Nick was the last survivor of the World War II Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, and was an important member of the Los Alamos national Laboratory until his death in October, 1999. In this volume, some of the leading scientists and humanists of our time have contributed essays related to their respective disciplines, exploring various aspects of future developments in science and society, philosophy, national security, nuclear power, pure and applied mathematics, physics and biology, particle physics, computing, and information science.

Similar to spironolactone, oxymatrine is protective in aldosterone-induced cardiomyocyte injury via inhibition of calpain and apoptosis-inducing factor signaling.

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Ting-Ting Xiao

Full Text Available Accumulating evidence indicates that oxymatrine (OMT possesses variously pharmacological properties, especially on the cardiovascular system. We previously demonstrated that activated calpain/apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF-mediated pathway was the key molecular mechanism in aldosterone (ALD induces cardiomyocytes apoptosis. In the present study, we extended the experimentation by investigating the effect of OMT on cardiomyocytes exposed to ALD, as compared to spironolactone (Spiro, a classical ALD receptor antagonist. Cardiomyocytes were pre-incubated with OMT, Spiro or vehicle for 1 h, and then, cardiomyocytes were exposed to ALD 24 h. The cell injury was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH leakage ratio. Apoptosis was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL assay, annexin V/PI staining, and relative caspase-3 activity assay. Furthermore, expression of pro-apoptotic proteins including truncated Bid (tBid, calpain and AIF were evaluated by western blot analysis. ALD stimulation increased cardiomyocytes apoptosis, caspase-3 activity and protein expression of calpain, tBid and AIF in the cytosol (p<0.05. Pre-incubated with cardiomyocytes injury and increased caspase-3 activity were significantly attenuated (p<0.05. Furthermore, OMT suppressed ALD-induced high expression of calpain and AIF. And these effects of OMT could be comparable to Spiro. These findings indicated that OMT might be a potential cardioprotective-agent against excessive ALD-induced cardiotoxicity, at least in part, mediated through inhibition of calpain/AIF signaling.

DJ-1 Modulates Nuclear Erythroid 2–Related Factor-2–Mediated Protection in Human Primary Alveolar Type II Cells in Smokers

Science.gov (United States)

Bahmed, Karim; Messier, Elise M.; Zhou, Wenbo; Tuder, Rubin M.; Freed, Curt R.; Chu, Hong Wei; Kelsen, Steven G.; Bowler, Russell P.; Mason, Robert J.

2016-01-01

Cigarette smoke (CS) is a main source of oxidative stress and a key risk factor for emphysema, which consists of alveolar wall destruction. Alveolar type (AT) II cells are in the gas exchange regions of the lung. We isolated primary ATII cells from deidentified organ donors whose lungs were not suitable for transplantation. We analyzed the cell injury obtained from nonsmokers, moderate smokers, and heavy smokers. DJ-1 protects cells from oxidative stress and induces nuclear erythroid 2–related factor-2 (Nrf2) expression, which activates the antioxidant defense system. In ATII cells isolated from moderate smokers, we found DJ-1 expression by RT-PCR, and Nrf2 and heme oxygenase (HO)-1 translocation by Western blotting and immunocytofluorescence. In ATII cells isolated from heavy smokers, we detected Nrf2 and HO-1 cytoplasmic localization. Moreover, we found high oxidative stress, as detected by 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) (immunoblotting), inflammation by IL-8 and IL-6 levels by ELISA, and apoptosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay in ATII cells obtained from heavy smokers. Furthermore, we detected early DJ-1 and late Nrf2 expression after ATII cell treatment with CS extract. We also overexpressed DJ-1 by adenovirus construct and found that this restored Nrf2 and HO-1 expression and induced nuclear translocation in heavy smokers. Moreover, DJ-1 overexpression also decreased ATII cell apoptosis caused by CS extract in vitro. Our results indicate that DJ-1 activates the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant defense system. Furthermore, DJ-1 overexpression can restore the impaired Nrf2 pathway, leading to ATII cell protection in heavy smokers. This suggests a potential therapeutic strategy for targeting DJ-1 in CS-related lung diseases. PMID:27093578

p53 and telomerase control rat myocardial tissue response to hypoxia and ageing

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A. Cataldi

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Cellular senescence implies loss of proliferative and tissue regenerative capability. Also hypoxia, producing Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS, can damage cellular components through the oxidation of DNA, proteins and lipids, thus influencing the shortening of telomeres. Since ribonucleoprotein Telomerase (TERT, catalyzing the replication of the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, promotes cardiac muscle cell proliferation, hypertrophy and survival, here we investigated its role in the events regulating apoptosis occurrence and life span in hearts deriving from young and old rats exposed to hypoxia. TUNEL (terminal-deoxinucleotidyl -transferase- mediated dUTP nick end-labeling analysis reveals an increased apoptotic cell number in both samples after hypoxia exposure, mainly in the young with respect to the old. TERT expression lowers either in the hypoxic young, either in the old in both experimental conditions, with respect to the normoxic young. These events are paralleled by p53 and HIF-1 ? expression dramatic increase and by p53/ HIF-1 ? co-immunoprecipitation in the hypoxic young, evidencing the young subject as the most stressed by such challenge. These effects could be explained by induction of damage to genomic DNA by ROS that accelerates cell senescence through p53 activation. Moreover, by preventing TERT enzyme down-regulation, cell cycle exit and apoptosis occurrence could be delayed and new possibilities for intervention against cell ageing and hypoxia could be opened.

Aptamer-mediated indirect quantum dot labeling and fluorescent imaging of target proteins in living cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Jianbo; Zhang, Pengfei; Yang, Xiaohai; Wang, Kemin; Guo, Qiuping; Huang, Jin; Li, Wei

2014-01-01

Protein labeling for dynamic living cell imaging plays a significant role in basic biological research, as well as in clinical diagnostics and therapeutics. We have developed a novel strategy in which the dynamic visualization of proteins within living cells is achieved by using aptamers as mediators for indirect protein labeling of quantum dots (QDs). With this strategy, the target protein angiogenin was successfully labeled with fluorescent QDs in a minor intactness model, which was mediated by the aptamer AL6-B. Subsequent living cell imaging analyses indicated that the QDs nanoprobes were selectively bound to human umbilical vein endothelial cells, gradually internalized into the cytoplasm, and mostly localized in the lysosome organelle, indicating that the labeled protein retained high activity. Compared with traditional direct protein labeling methods, the proposed aptamer-mediated strategy is simple, inexpensive, and provides a highly selective, stable, and intact labeling platform that has shown great promise for future biomedical labeling and intracellular protein dynamic analyses. (paper)

9-Cis retinoic acid protects against methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in nigrostriatal dopamine neurons.

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Reiner, David J; Yu, Seong-Jin; Shen, Hui; He, Yi; Bae, Eunkyung; Wang, Yun

2014-04-01

Methamphetamine (MA) is a drug of abuse as well as a dopaminergic neurotoxin. 9-Cis retinoic acid (9cRA), a biologically active derivative of vitamin A, has protective effects against damage caused by H(2)O(2) and oxygen-glucose deprivation in vitro as well as infarction and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dNTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) labeling in ischemic brain. The purpose of this study was to examine if there was a protective role for 9cRA against MA toxicity in nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. Primary dopaminergic neurons, prepared from rat embryonic ventral mesencephalic tissue, were treated with MA. High doses of MA decreased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity while increasing TUNEL labeling. These toxicities were significantly reduced by 9cRA. 9cRA also inhibited the export of Nur77 from nucleus to cytosol, a response that activates apoptosis. The interaction of 9cRA and MA in vivo was next examined in adult rats. 9cRA was delivered intracerebroventricularly; MA was given (5 mg/kg, 4×) one day later. Locomotor behavior was measured 2 days after surgery for a period of 48 h. High doses of MA significantly reduced locomotor activity and TH immunoreactivity in striatum. Administration of 9cRA antagonized these changes. Previous studies have shown that 9cRA can induce bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP7) expression and that administration of BMP7 attenuates MA toxicity. We demonstrated that MA treatment significantly reduced BMP7 mRNA expression in nigra. Noggin (a BMP antagonist) antagonized 9cRA-induced behavioral recovery and 9cRA-induced normalization of striatal TH levels. Our data suggest that 9cRA has a protective effect against MA-mediated neurodegeneration in dopaminergic neurons via upregulation of BMP.

Expression of Fas ligand by human gastric adenocarcinomas: a potential mechanism of immune escape in stomach cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, M W; O'connell, J; O'sullivan, G C; Roche, D; Brady, C; Kelly, J; Collins, J K; Shanahan, F

1999-02-01

Despite being immunogenic, gastric cancers overcome antitumour immune responses by mechanisms that have yet to be fully elucidated. Fas ligand (FasL) is a molecule that induces Fas receptor mediated apoptosis of activated immunocytes, thereby mediating normal immune downregulatory roles including immune response termination, tolerance acquisition, and immune privilege. Colon cancer cell lines have previously been shown to express FasL and kill lymphoid cells by Fas mediated apoptosis in vitro. Many diverse tumours have since been found to express FasL suggesting that a "Fas counterattack" against antitumour immune effector cells may contribute to tumour immune escape. To ascertain if human gastric tumours express FasL in vivo, as a potential mediator of immune escape in stomach cancer. Thirty paraffin wax embedded human gastric adenocarcinomas. FasL protein was detected in gastric tumours using immunohistochemistry; FasL mRNA was detected in the tumours using in situ hybridisation. Cell death was detected in situ in tumour infiltrating lymphocytes using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL). Prevalent expression of FasL was detected in all 30 resected gastric adenocarcinomas examined. In the tumours, FasL protein and mRNA were co-localised to neoplastic gastric epithelial cells, confirming expression by the tumour cells. FasL expression was independent of tumour stage, suggesting that it may be expressed throughout gastric cancer progression. TUNEL staining disclosed a high level of cell death among lymphocytes infiltrating FasL positive areas of tumour. Human gastric adenocarcinomas express the immune downregulatory molecule, FasL. The results suggest that FasL is a prevalent mediator of immune privilege in stomach cancer.

Expression of Fas ligand by human gastric adenocarcinomas: a potential mechanism of immune escape in stomach cancer.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Bennett, M W

2012-02-03

BACKGROUND: Despite being immunogenic, gastric cancers overcome antitumour immune responses by mechanisms that have yet to be fully elucidated. Fas ligand (FasL) is a molecule that induces Fas receptor mediated apoptosis of activated immunocytes, thereby mediating normal immune downregulatory roles including immune response termination, tolerance acquisition, and immune privilege. Colon cancer cell lines have previously been shown to express FasL and kill lymphoid cells by Fas mediated apoptosis in vitro. Many diverse tumours have since been found to express FasL suggesting that a "Fas counterattack" against antitumour immune effector cells may contribute to tumour immune escape. AIM: To ascertain if human gastric tumours express FasL in vivo, as a potential mediator of immune escape in stomach cancer. SPECIMENS: Thirty paraffin wax embedded human gastric adenocarcinomas. METHODS: FasL protein was detected in gastric tumours using immunohistochemistry; FasL mRNA was detected in the tumours using in situ hybridisation. Cell death was detected in situ in tumour infiltrating lymphocytes using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL). RESULTS: Prevalent expression of FasL was detected in all 30 resected gastric adenocarcinomas examined. In the tumours, FasL protein and mRNA were co-localised to neoplastic gastric epithelial cells, confirming expression by the tumour cells. FasL expression was independent of tumour stage, suggesting that it may be expressed throughout gastric cancer progression. TUNEL staining disclosed a high level of cell death among lymphocytes infiltrating FasL positive areas of tumour. CONCLUSIONS: Human gastric adenocarcinomas express the immune downregulatory molecule, FasL. The results suggest that FasL is a prevalent mediator of immune privilege in stomach cancer.

The α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor mediates the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to taxanes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Chao-Chiang; Huang, Chien-Yu; Cheng, Wan-Li; Hung, Chin-Sheng; Uyanga, Batzorig; Wei, Po-Li; Chang, Yu-Jia

2016-04-01

Gastric cancer is difficult to cure because most patients are diagnosed at an advanced disease stage. Systemic chemotherapy remains an important therapy for gastric cancer, but both progression-free survival and disease-free survival associated with various combination regimens are limited because of refractoriness and chemoresistance. Accumulating evidence has revealed that the homomeric α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (A7-nAChR) promotes human gastric cancer by driving cancer cell proliferation, migration, and metastasis. Therefore, A7-nAChR may serve as a potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer. However, the role of A7-nAChR in taxane therapy for gastric cancer was unclear. Cells were subjected to A7-nAChR knockdown (A7-nAChR KD) using short interfering RNA (siRNA). The anti-proliferative effects of taxane were assessed via 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick-end labeling (TUNEL), and cell cycle distribution assays. A7-nAChR-KD cells exhibited low resistance to docetaxel and paclitaxel treatment, as measured by the MTT assay. Following paclitaxel treatment, the proportion of apoptotic cells was higher among A7-nAChR-KD cells than among scrambled control cells, as measured by cell cycle distribution and TUNEL assays. Further molecular analyses showed a reduction in the pAKT levels and a dramatic increase in the Bad levels in paclitaxel-treated A7-nAChR-KD cells but not in scrambled control cells. Following paclitaxel treatment, the level of Bax was slightly increased in both cell populations, whereas Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage was increased only in A7-nAChR-KD cells. These findings indicate that A7-nAChR-KD cells are more sensitive to paclitaxel treatment. We conclude that A7-nAChR may be a key biomarker for assessing the chemosensitivity of gastric cancer cells to taxane.

Myc-nick: a cytoplasmic cleavage product of Myc that promotes alpha-tubulin acetylation and cell differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Conacci-Sorrell, Maralice; Ngouenet, Celine; Eisenman, Robert N

2010-08-06

The Myc oncoprotein family comprises transcription factors that control multiple cellular functions and are widely involved in oncogenesis. Here we report the identification of Myc-nick, a cytoplasmic form of Myc generated by calpain-dependent proteolysis at lysine 298 of full-length Myc. Myc-nick retains conserved Myc box regions but lacks nuclear localization signals and the bHLHZ domain essential for heterodimerization with Max and DNA binding. Myc-nick induces alpha-tubulin acetylation and altered cell morphology by recruiting histone acetyltransferase GCN5 to microtubules. During muscle differentiation, while the levels of full-length Myc diminish, Myc-nick and acetylated alpha-tubulin levels are increased. Ectopic expression of Myc-nick accelerates myoblast fusion, triggers the expression of myogenic markers, and permits Myc-deficient fibroblasts to transdifferentiate in response to MyoD. We propose that the cleavage of Myc by calpain abrogates the transcriptional inhibition of differentiation by full-length Myc and generates Myc-nick, a driver of cytoplasmic reorganization and differentiation. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical DNA biosensor based on grafting-to mode of terminal deoxynucleoside transferase-mediated extension.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jinyuan; Liu, Zhoujie; Peng, Huaping; Zheng, Yanjie; Lin, Zhen; Liu, Ailin; Chen, Wei; Lin, Xinhua

2017-12-15

Previously reported electrochemical DNA biosensors based on in-situ polymerization approach reveal that terminal deoxynucleoside transferase (TdTase) has good amplifying performance and promising application in the design of electrochemical DNA biosensor. However, this method, in which the background is significantly affected by the amount of TdTase, suffers from being easy to produce false positive result and poor stability. Herein, we firstly present a novel electrochemical DNA biosensor based on grafting-to mode of TdTase-mediated extension, in which DNA targets are polymerized in homogeneous solution and then hybridized with DNA probes on BSA-based DNA carrier platform. It is surprising to find that the background in the grafting-to mode of TdTase-based electrochemical DNA biosensor have little interference from the employed TdTase. Most importantly, the proposed electrochemical DNA biosensor shows greatly improved detection performance over the in-situ polymerization approach-based electrochemical DNA biosensor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Joint Inflammation and Early Degeneration Induced by High-Force Reaching Are Attenuated by Ibuprofen in an Animal Model of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorder

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Jeffrey B. Driban

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We used our voluntary rat model of reaching and grasping to study the effect of performing a high-repetition and high-force (HRHF task for 12 weeks on wrist joints. We also studied the effectiveness of ibuprofen, administered in the last 8 weeks, in attenuating HRHF-induced changes in these joints. With HRHF task performance, ED1+ and COX2+ cells were present in subchondral radius, carpal bones and synovium; IL-1alpha and TNF-alpha increased in distal radius/ulna/carpal bones; chondrocytes stained with Terminal deoxynucleotidyl Transferase- (TDT- mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL increased in wrist articular cartilages; superficial structural changes (e.g., pannus and reduced proteoglycan staining were observed in wrist articular cartilages. These changes were not present in normal controls or ibuprofen treated rats, although IL-1alpha was increased in reach limbs of trained controls. HRHF-induced increases in serum C1,2C (a biomarker of collagen I and II degradation, and the ratio of collagen degradation to synthesis (C1,2C/CPII; the latter a biomarker of collage type II synthesis were also attenuated by ibuprofen. Thus, ibuprofen treatment was effective in attenuating HRHF-induced inflammation and early articular cartilage degeneration.

Therapeutic effects of microbubble added to combined high-intensity focused ultrasound and chemotherapy in a pancreatic cancer xenograft model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Mi Hye [Dept. of Radiology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jae Young; Kim, Bo Ram; Park, Eun Joo; Kim, Hoe Suk; Han, Joon Koo [Dept. of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hae Ri [Dept. of Pre-Dentistry, Gangneung-Wonju National University College of Dentistry, Gangneung (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Byung Ihn [Dept. of Radiology, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-09-15

To investigate whether high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) combined with microbubbles enhances the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy. A pancreatic cancer xenograft model was established using BALB/c nude mice and luciferase-expressing human pancreatic cancer cells. Mice were randomly assigned to five groups according to treatment: control (n = 10), gemcitabine alone (GEM; n = 12), HIFU with microbubbles (HIFU + MB, n = 11), combined HIFU and gemcitabine (HIGEM; n = 12), and HIGEM + MB (n = 13). After three weekly treatments, apoptosis rates were evaluated using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay in two mice per group. Tumor volume and bioluminescence were monitored using high-resolution 3D ultrasound imaging and in vivo bioluminescence imaging for eight weeks in the remaining mice. The HIGEM + MB group showed significantly higher apoptosis rates than the other groups (p < 0.05) and exhibited the slowest tumor growth. From week 5, the tumor-volume-ratio relative to the baseline tumor volume was significantly lower in the HIGEM + MB group than in the control, GEM, and HIFU + MB groups (p < 0.05). Despite visible distinction, the HIGEM and HIGEM + MB groups showed no significant differences. High-intensity focused ultrasound combined with microbubbles enhances the therapeutic effects of gemcitabine chemotherapy in a pancreatic cancer xenograft model.

Therapeutic Effects of Microbubbles Added to Combined High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound and Chemotherapy in a Pancreatic Cancer Xenograft Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Mi Hye [Department of Radiology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul 05030 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jae Young [Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hae Ri [Department of Pre-Dentistry, Gangneung-Wonju National University College of Dentistry, Gangneung 25457 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Bo Ram; Park, Eun-Joo; Kim, Hoe Suk; Han, Joon Koo [Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Byung Ihn [Department of Radiology, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul 06973 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-11-01

To investigate whether high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) combined with microbubbles enhances the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy. A pancreatic cancer xenograft model was established using BALB/c nude mice and luciferase-expressing human pancreatic cancer cells. Mice were randomly assigned to five groups according to treatment: control (n = 10), gemcitabine alone (GEM; n = 12), HIFU with microbubbles (HIFU + MB, n = 11), combined HIFU and gemcitabine (HIGEM; n = 12), and HIGEM + MB (n = 13). After three weekly treatments, apoptosis rates were evaluated using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay in two mice per group. Tumor volume and bioluminescence were monitored using high-resolution 3D ultrasound imaging and in vivo bioluminescence imaging for eight weeks in the remaining mice. The HIGEM + MB group showed significantly higher apoptosis rates than the other groups (p < 0.05) and exhibited the slowest tumor growth. From week 5, the tumor-volume-ratio relative to the baseline tumor volume was significantly lower in the HIGEM + MB group than in the control, GEM, and HIFU + MB groups (p < 0.05). Despite visible distinction, the HIGEM and HIGEM + MB groups showed no significant differences. High-intensity focused ultrasound combined with microbubbles enhances the therapeutic effects of gemcitabine chemotherapy in a pancreatic cancer xenograft model.

Ischemia preconditioning is neuroprotective in a rat cerebral ischemic injury model through autophagy activation and apoptosis inhibition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia, D.Y.; Li, W.; Qian, H.R.; Yao, S.; Liu, J.G.; Qi, X.K.

2013-01-01

Sublethal ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is a powerful inducer of ischemic brain tolerance. However, its underlying mechanisms are still not well understood. In this study, we chose four different IPC paradigms, namely 5 min (5 min duration), 5×5 min (5 min duration, 2 episodes, 15-min interval), 5×5×5 min (5 min duration, 3 episodes, 15-min intervals), and 15 min (15 min duration), and demonstrated that three episodes of 5 min IPC activated autophagy to the greatest extent 24 h after IPC, as evidenced by Beclin expression and LC3-I/II conversion. Autophagic activation was mediated by the tuberous sclerosis type 1 (TSC1)-mTor signal pathway as IPC increased TSC1 but decreased mTor phosphorylation. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and hematoxylin and eosin staining confirmed that IPC protected against cerebral ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Critically, 3-methyladenine, an inhibitor of autophagy, abolished the neuroprotection of IPC and, by contrast, rapamycin, an autophagy inducer, potentiated it. Cleaved caspase-3 expression, neurological scores, and infarct volume in different groups further confirmed the protection of IPC against I/R injury. Taken together, our data indicate that autophagy activation might underlie the protection of IPC against ischemic injury by inhibiting apoptosis

Enhanced healing of mitomycin C-treated healing-impaired wounds in rats with PRP-containing fragmin/protamine microparticles (PRP&F/P MPs).

Science.gov (United States)

Takikawa, Megumi; Ishihara, Masayuki; Takabayashi, Yuki; Sumi, Yuki; Takikawa, Makoto; Yoshida, Ryuichi; Nakamura, Shingo; Hattori, Hidemi; Yanagibayashi, Satoshi; Yamamoto, Naoto; Kiyosawa, Tomoharu

2015-04-13

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accelerating effects of platelet-rich plasma-containing (PRP&) fragmin/protamine microparticles (F/P MPs) for repairing mitomycin C-treated healing-impaired wounds. Staining with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL-staining) showed that apoptosis of dermal fibroblast cells (DFCs) and epidermal keratinocyte cells (EKCs) were significantly induced in the skin of the mitomycin C-treated rats. Full-thickness skin defects were made on the back of rats and mitomycin C was applied on the wounds to prepare a healing-impaired wound. After washing out the mitomycin C, saline (control), F/P MPs alone, PRP alone, and PRP&F/P MPs were injected around the wounds. The rats were later euthanised and histological sections of the wounds were then prepared at indicated time periods after the treatment. These results indicated the numbers of large, medium, and small capillary lumens 7 days after injection of PRP&F/P MPs were significantly higher than those after injection of PRP or F/P MPs alone. Furthermore, epithelium and granulation tissue formations were significantly stimulated in the healing-impaired wounds treated with PRP&F/P MPs 3, 7 and 14 days after injection of PRP&F/P MPs.

Evidence that expression of a mutated p53 gene attenuates apoptotic cell death in human gastric intestinal-type carcinomas in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishida, M; Gomyo, Y; Ohfuji, S; Ikeda, M; Kawasaki, H; Ito, H

1997-05-01

To examine in vivo the validity of the results of experiments in vitro, we analyzed the relationship between p53 gene status and apoptotic cell death of human gastric intestinal-type adenocarcinomas. Surgical specimens were classified into two categories: 18 gastric cancers with nuclear p53 protein (A), and 17 gastric cancers without nuclear p53 protein (B). Polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism disclosed a shifted band that corresponded to a mutation in the p53 gene in 13 cases (72%) in category A and 3 cases (18%) in category B, the frequency being significantly higher in the former (P terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL). The TUNEL index [TI; (the number of TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells/the total number of tumor cells) x 100] was 3.8 +/- 1.4% in category A and 4.9 +/- 1.2% in category B, the value being significantly lower in the former (P gastric cancer, in accordance with the previous in vitro finding that p53 gene mutation provides a possible selective advantage for tumor cell proliferation, and (2) apoptosis is related not only to expression of p53 and the stage of the cell cycle, but also to p53-independent and cell cycle-independent events.

Ethanol extract of Portulaca Oleracea L. reduced the carbon tetrachloride induced liver injury in mice involving enhancement of NF-κB activity

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Hongguang; Liu, Xuefeng; Tang, Gusheng; Liu, Haiyan; Zhang, Yinghui; Zhang, Bo; Zhao, Xuezhi; Wang, Wanyin

2014-01-01

Acute hepatic injury causes high morbidity and mortality world-wide. Management of severe acute hepatic failure continues to be one of the most challenging problems in clinical medicine. In present study, carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) was used to induce acute liver damage in mice and the protective effects of ethanol extract of Portulaca Oleracea L. (PO) were examined. The aminotransferase activities were biochemical estimated and the liver damage was tested by morphological histological analysis and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The role of PO on the activity of NF-κB was determined by luciferase reporter gene assay and immunohistochemistry. The level of p-p65 was tested by western blot. Our results showed that PO administration on mice would decrease the serum aminotransferase level and reduced the liver histological damage. We also found that nuclear translocation of p65 was enhanced in liver tissues of mice treated with PO compared with control animals. In addition, in cultured hepatic cells, PO increased the NF-κB luciferase reporter gene activity and upregulated the level of phosphorylation of p65, but had no effects on mice liver SOD activity and MDA level. Collectively, PO attenuated CCl4 induced mice liver damage by enhancement of NF-κB activity. PMID:25628785

Aerosol-delivered programmed cell death 4 enhanced apoptosis, controlled cell cycle and suppressed AP-1 activity in the lungs of AP-1 luciferase reporter mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, S-K; Jin, H; Kwon, J T; Chang, S-H; Kim, T H; Cho, C-S; Lee, K H; Young, M R; Colburn, N H; Beck, G R; Yang, H-S; Cho, M-H

2007-09-01

The long-term survival of lung cancer patients treated with conventional therapies remains poor and therefore the need for novel approaches remains high. This has led to the re-emergence of aerosol delivery as a therapeutic intervention. In this study, glucosylated polyethylenimine (GPEI) was used as carrier to investigate programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) and PDCD4 mutant (D418A), an eIF4A-binding mutant, on PDCD4-related signaling and activator protein-1 (AP-1) activity in the lungs of AP-1 luciferase reporter mice. After confirming the efficiency of GPEI as a carrier in lungs, the effects of aerosol-delivered PDCD4 were investigated in AP-1 luciferase reporter mice. Aerosol delivery of GPEI/PDCD4 through a nose-only inhalation facilitated the apoptosis of lungs whereas aerosol PDCD4 mutant did not. Also, such aerosol delivery regulated proteins relevant to cell-cycle control and suppressed AP-1 activity. Results obtained by western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, luciferase assay and deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated nick end labeling study suggest that combined actions such as facilitating apoptosis, controlling cell cycle and suppression of AP-1 activity by PDCD4 may provide useful tool for designing lung tumor prevention and treatment by which PDCD4 functions as a transformation suppressor in the future.

High clusterin expression correlates with a poor outcome in stage II colorectal cancers.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Kevans, David

2012-02-01

The role of clusterin in tumor growth and progression remains unclear. Overexpression of cytoplasmic clusterin has been studied in aggressive colon tumors; however, no correlation between clusterin expression and survival in colorectal cancer has been identified to date. We assessed levels of clusterin expression in a group of stage II colorectal cancer patients to assess its utility as a prognostic marker. The study included 251 patients with stage II colorectal cancer. Tissue microarrays were constructed and immunohistochemistry done and correlated with clinical features and long term outcome. Dual immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy were used with terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling probes and clusterin antibody to assess the degree of co localization. Percentage epithelial cytoplasmic staining was higher in tumor compared with nonadjacent normal mucosa (P < 0.001). Within the stromal compartment, percentage cytoplamic staining and intensity was lower in tumor tissue compared with normal nonadjacent mucosa (P < or = 0.001). Survival was significantly associated with percentage epithelial cytoplasmic staining (P < 0.001), epithelial cytoplasmic staining intensity (P < 0.001), percentage stromal cytoplasmic staining (P = 0.002), and stromal cytoplasmic staining intensity (P < 0.001). Clusterin levels are associated with poor survival in stage II colorectal cancer.

Overexpression of IL-7R alpha provides a competitive advantage during early T-cell development.

Science.gov (United States)

Laouar, Yasmina; Crispe, I Nicholas; Flavell, Richard A

2004-03-15

Critical checkpoints controlling early thymic T-cell development and homeostasis are set by the proper signaling function of the interleukin 7 receptor (IL-7R) and the pre-T-cell antigen receptor. Although alpha beta T-cell development is observed in IL-7- and IL-7R alpha-deficient mice, the number of thymocytes is significantly reduced, implying a role for the IL-7R in controlling the size of the thymic T-cell compartment. Here, we report the overexpression of IL-7R alpha that occurs in the early T-cell compartment from AKR/J mice, animals that are highly susceptible to the spontaneous development of thymoma. Increased IL-7R alpha was revealed by surface staining, and increased IL-7R alpha mRNA was documented by using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This resulted in increased survival of AKR/J early thymocytes, shown by the decreased frequency of TUNEL(+) (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate [dUTP]-fluorescein nick end labeling) cells. In an in vivo thymocyte repopulation model, AKR/J thymocytes had a selective advantage over healthy thymocytes. This advantage occurred at early stages of T-cell development. Our findings support the model that overexpression of growth factor receptors can contribute to proliferation and malignancy.

Effects of topical vitamin E on keratocyte apoptosis after traditional photorefractive keratectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bilgihan, K; Adiguzel, U; Sezer, C; Akyol, G; Hasanreisoglu, B

2001-01-01

To evaluate the keratocyte apoptosis and effects of topical vitamin E on keratocyte apoptosis after photorefractive surgery. Rabbits were divided into 7 groups, and all groups were compared with controls after epithelial scraping, epithelial scrape and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) (traditional PRK), transepithelial PRK, production of a corneal flap with microkeratome and laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). The effects of topical Vitamin E treatment were investigated in the traditional PRK group. The terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick-end labelling assay (to detect DNA fragmentation in situ) and light microscopy have been used to detect apoptosis in rabbit cornea. Transepithelial PRK induced minimal keratocyte apoptosis, less than in all other refractive surgical procedures. The greatest amount of keratocyte apoptosis was observed after traditional PRK (p = 0.001), therefore we tested the effects of topical vitamin E in this group. The number of apoptotic keratocytes significantly reduced after vitamin E therapy (p < 0.005). Keratocytes undergo apoptosis after refractive surgery in response to mechanical epithelial removal, preparing of corneal flap and excimer laser stromal photoablation. The topical application of vitamin E immediately after surgery can prevent keratocyte apoptosis, and this result suggests that free radicals may be partly responsible for keratocyte apoptosis after excimer laser keratectomy. Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel

Melatonin Inhibits Neural Cell Apoptosis and Promotes Locomotor Recovery via Activation of the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway After Spinal Cord Injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Zhaoliang; Zhou, Zipeng; Gao, Shuang; Guo, Yue; Gao, Kai; Wang, Haoyu; Dang, Xiaoqian

2017-08-01

The spinal cord is highly sensitive to spinal cord injury (SCI) by external mechanical damage, resulting in irreversible neurological damage. Activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway can effectively reduce apoptosis and protect against SCI. Melatonin, an indoleamine originally isolated from bovine pineal tissue, exerts neuroprotective effects after SCI through activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In this study, we demonstrated that melatonin exhibited neuroprotective effects on neuronal apoptosis and supported functional recovery in a rat SCI model by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. We found that melatonin administration after SCI significantly upregulated the expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein 6 phosphorylation (p-LRP-6), lymphoid enhancer factor-1 (LEF-1) and β-catenin protein in the spinal cord. Melatonin enhanced motor neuronal survival in the spinal cord ventral horn and improved the locomotor functions of rats after SCI. Melatonin administration after SCI also reduced the expression levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 in the spinal cord and the proportion of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) positive cells, but increased the expression level of Bcl-2. These results suggest that melatonin attenuated SCI by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Polymeric micelles encapsulating fisetin improve the therapeutic effect in colon cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yishan; Wu, Qinjie; Song, Linjiang; He, Tao; Li, Yuchen; Li, Ling; Su, Weijun; Liu, Lei; Qian, Zhiyong; Gong, Changyang

2015-01-14

The natural flavonoid fisetin (3,3',4',7-tetrahydroxyflavone) was discovered to possess antitumor activity, revealing its potential value in future chemotherapy. However, its poor water solubility makes it difficult for intravenous administration. In this study, the monomethyl poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (MPEG-PCL) copolymer was applied to prepare nanoassemblies of fisetin by a self-assembly procedure. The prepared fisetin micelles gained a mean particle size of 22 ± 3 nm, polydisperse index of 0.163 ± 0.032, drug loading of 9.88 ± 0.14%, and encapsulation efficiency of 98.53 ± 0.02%. Compared with free fisetin, fisetin micelles demonstrated a sustained and prolonged in vitro release behavior, as well as enhanced cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and fisetin-induced apoptosis in CT26 cells. As for in vivo studies, fisetin micelles were more competent for suppressing tumor growth and prolonging survival time than free fisetin in the subcutaneous CT26 tumor model. Furthermore, histological analysis, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick-end labeling assay, immunohistochemical detection of Ki-67, and microvessel density detection were conducted, demonstrating that fisetin micelles gained increased tumor apoptosis induction, proliferation suppression, and antiangiogenesis activities. In conclusion, we have successfully produced a MPEG-PCL-based nanocarrier encapsulating fisetin with enhanced antitumor activity.

Hydroxysafflor Yellow A protects spinal cords from ischemia/reperfusion injury in rabbits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shan Le-qun

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hydroxysafflor Yellow A (HSYA, which is one of the most important active ingredients of the Chinese herb Carthamus tinctorius L, is widely used in the treatment of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases. However, the potential protective effect of HSYA in spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion (I/R injury is still unknown. Methods Thirty-nine rabbits were randomly divided into three groups: sham group, I/R group and HSYA group. All animals were sacrificed after neurological evaluation with modified Tarlov criteria at the 48th hour after reperfusion, and the spinal cord segments (L4-6 were harvested for histopathological examination, biochemical analysis and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL staining. Results Neurological outcomes in HSYA group were slightly improved compared with those in I/R group. Histopathological analysis revealed that HSYA treatment attenuated I/R induced necrosis in spinal cords. Similarly, alleviated oxidative stress was indicated by decreased malondialdehyde (MDA level and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD activity after HSYA treatment. Moreover, as seen from TUNEL results, HSYA also protected neurons from I/R-induced apoptosis in rabbits. Conclusions These findings suggest that HSYA may protect spinal cords from I/R injury by alleviating oxidative stress and reducing neuronal apoptosis in rabbits.

Ulinastatin suppresses endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis in the hippocampus of rats with acute paraquat poisoning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hai-feng Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Lung injury is the main manifestation of paraquat poisoning. Few studies have addressed brain damage after paraquat poisoning. Ulinastatin is a protease inhibitor that can effectively stabilize lysosomal membranes, prevent cell damage, and reduce the production of free radicals. This study assumed that ulinastatin would exert these effects on brain tissues that had been poisoned with paraquat. Rat models of paraquat poisoning were intraperitoneally injected with ulinastatin. Simultaneously, rats in the control group were administered normal saline. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that most hippocampal cells were contracted and nucleoli had disappeared in the paraquat group. Fewer cells in the hippocampus were concentrated and nucleoli had disappeared in the ulinastatin group. Western blot assay showed that expressions of GRP78 and cleaved-caspase-3 were significantly lower in the ulinastatin group than in the paraquat group. Immunohistochemical findings showed that CHOP immunoreactivity was significantly lower in the ulinastatin group than in the paraquat group. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining showed that the number of apoptotic cells was reduced in the paraquat and ulinastatin groups. These data confirmed that endoplasmic reticular stress can be induced by acute paraquat poisoning. Ulinastatin can effectively inhibit this stress as well as cell apoptosis, thereby exerting a neuroprotective effect.

Correlation of lung surface area to apoptosis and proliferation in human emphysema.

Science.gov (United States)

Imai, K; Mercer, B A; Schulman, L L; Sonett, J R; D'Armiento, J M

2005-02-01

Pulmonary emphysema is associated with alterations in matrix proteins and protease activity. These alterations may be linked to programmed cell death by apoptosis, potentially influencing lung architecture and lung function. To evaluate apoptosis in emphysema, lung tissue was analysed from 10 emphysema patients and six individuals without emphysema (normal). Morphological analysis revealed alveolar cells in emphysematous lungs with convoluted nuclei characteristic of apoptosis. DNA fragmentation was detected using terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) and gel electrophoresis. TUNEL revealed higher apoptosis in emphysematous than normal lungs. Markers of apoptosis, including active caspase-3, proteolytic fragment of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, Bax and Bad, were detected in emphysematous lungs. Linear regression showed that apoptosis was inversely correlated with surface area. Emphysematous lungs demonstrated lower surface areas and increased cell proliferation. There was no correlation between apoptosis and proliferation, suggesting that, although both events increase during emphysema, they are not in equilibrium, potentially contributing to reduced lung surface area. In summary, cell-based mechanisms associated with emphysematous parenchymal damage include increased apoptosis and cell proliferation. Apoptosis correlated with airspace enlargement, supporting epidemiological evidence of the progressive nature of emphysema. These data extend the understanding of cell dynamics and structural changes within the lung during emphysema pathogenesis.

Substance P reduces apoptotic cell death possibly by modulating the immune response at the early stage after spinal cord injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Mei Hua; Lim, Ji Eun; Chi, Guang Fan; Ahn, Woosung; Zhang, Mingzi; Chung, Eunkyung; Son, Youngsook

2013-10-23

Previously, we have reported that substance P (SP) enhanced functional recovery from spinal cord injury (SCI) possibly by the anti-inflammatory modulation associated with the induction of M2-type macrophages at the injured lesion. In this study, we explored the cytokine expression profiles and apoptotic cell death in the lesion site of the SCI after an immediate intravenous injection of SP. SP injection increased the levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, and IL-10 at day 1 after the SCI approximately by 2-, 9-, and 10-folds when compared with the control SCI, respectively. On the basis of double immunofluorescence staining with IL-10 and CD11b, activated macrophages or microglia expressing IL-10 appeared in the margin of the lesion site at day 1 only after the SP injection. This SP-mediated alteration in the lesion microenvironment was shown to be associated with the lower cell death of neuronal cells at day 1 and oligodendrocytes at day 5 by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, which was also accompanied by a decrease in caspase-3 activation. These findings suggest that SP may reduce the inflammation-induced secondary cell death, possibly through immune modulation at an early stage after the SCI.

Ischemia preconditioning is neuroprotective in a rat cerebral ischemic injury model through autophagy activation and apoptosis inhibition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xia, D.Y. [Department of Neurology, Navy General Hospital of PLA, Beijing (China); Li, W. [General Hospital of Shenyang Military Command, Department of Neurology, Shenyang, China, Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Command, Shenyang (China); Qian, H.R.; Yao, S.; Liu, J.G.; Qi, X.K. [Department of Neurology, Navy General Hospital of PLA, Beijing (China)

2013-08-10

Sublethal ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is a powerful inducer of ischemic brain tolerance. However, its underlying mechanisms are still not well understood. In this study, we chose four different IPC paradigms, namely 5 min (5 min duration), 5×5 min (5 min duration, 2 episodes, 15-min interval), 5×5×5 min (5 min duration, 3 episodes, 15-min intervals), and 15 min (15 min duration), and demonstrated that three episodes of 5 min IPC activated autophagy to the greatest extent 24 h after IPC, as evidenced by Beclin expression and LC3-I/II conversion. Autophagic activation was mediated by the tuberous sclerosis type 1 (TSC1)-mTor signal pathway as IPC increased TSC1 but decreased mTor phosphorylation. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and hematoxylin and eosin staining confirmed that IPC protected against cerebral ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Critically, 3-methyladenine, an inhibitor of autophagy, abolished the neuroprotection of IPC and, by contrast, rapamycin, an autophagy inducer, potentiated it. Cleaved caspase-3 expression, neurological scores, and infarct volume in different groups further confirmed the protection of IPC against I/R injury. Taken together, our data indicate that autophagy activation might underlie the protection of IPC against ischemic injury by inhibiting apoptosis.

DNA fragmentation in spermatozoa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rex, A S; Aagaard, J.; Fedder, J

2017-01-01

Sperm DNA Fragmentation has been extensively studied for more than a decade. In the 1940s the uniqueness of the spermatozoa protein complex which stabilizes the DNA was discovered. In the fifties and sixties, the association between unstable chromatin structure and subfertility was investigated....... In the seventies, the impact of induced DNA damage was investigated. In the 1980s the concept of sperm DNA fragmentation as related to infertility was introduced as well as the first DNA fragmentation test: the Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay (SCSA). The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick end labelling...... (TUNEL) test followed by others was introduced in the nineties. The association between DNA fragmentation in spermatozoa and pregnancy loss has been extensively investigated spurring the need for a therapeutic tool for these patients. This gave rise to an increased interest in the aetiology of DNA damage...

Human CD34+ cells engineered to express membrane-bound tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand target both tumor cells and tumor vasculature.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavazza, Cristiana; Carlo-Stella, Carmelo; Giacomini, Arianna; Cleris, Loredana; Righi, Marco; Sia, Daniela; Di Nicola, Massimo; Magni, Michele; Longoni, Paolo; Milanesi, Marco; Francolini, Maura; Gloghini, Annunziata; Carbone, Antonino; Formelli, Franca; Gianni, Alessandro M

2010-03-18

Adenovirus-transduced CD34+ cells expressing membrane-bound tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (CD34-TRAIL+ cells) exert potent antitumor activity. To further investigate the mechanism(s) of action of CD34-TRAIL+ cells, we analyzed their homing properties as well as antitumor and antivascular effects using a subcutaneous myeloma model in immunodeficient mice. After intravenous injection, transduced cells homed in the tumor peaking at 48 hours when 188 plus or minus 25 CD45+ cells per 10(5) tumor cells were detected. Inhibition experiments showed that tumor homing of CD34-TRAIL+ cells was largely mediated by vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and stromal cell-derived factor-1. Both CD34-TRAIL+ cells and soluble (s)TRAIL significantly reduced tumor volume by 40% and 29%, respectively. Computer-aided analysis of TdT-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling-stained tumor sections demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness for CD34-TRAIL+ cells in increasing tumor cell apoptosis and necrosis over sTRAIL. Proteome array analysis indicated that CD34-TRAIL+ cells and sTRAIL activate similar apoptotic machinery. In vivo staining of tumor vasculature with sulfosuccinimidyl-6-(biotinamido) hexanoate-biotin revealed that CD34-TRAIL+ cells but not sTRAIL significantly damaged tumor vasculature, as shown by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling+ endothelial cells, appearance of hemorrhagic areas, and marked reduction of endothelial area. These results demonstrate that tumor homing of CD34-TRAIL+ cells induces early vascular disruption, resulting in hemorrhagic necrosis and tumor destruction.

Glutathione S-transferase Mu 2-transduced mesenchymal stem cells ameliorated anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody-induced glomerulonephritis by inhibiting oxidation and inflammation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yajuan; Yan, Mei; Yang, Jichen; Raman, Indu; Du, Yong; Min, Soyoun; Fang, Xiangdong; Mohan, Chandra; Li, Quan-Zhen

2014-01-30

Oxidative stress is implicated in tissue inflammation, and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated nephritis. Using the anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody-induced glomerulonephritis (anti-GBM-GN) mouse model, we found that increased expression of glutathione S-transferase Mu 2 (GSTM2) was related to reduced renal damage caused by anti-GBM antibodies. Furthermore, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy has shed light on the treatment of immune-mediated kidney diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate if MSCs could be utilized as vehicles to deliver the GSTM2 gene product into the kidney and to evaluate its potential therapeutic effect on anti-GBM-GN. The human GSTM2 gene (hGSTM2) was transduced into mouse bone marrow-derived MSCs via a lentivirus vector to create a stable cell line (hGSTM2-MSC). The cultured hGSTM2-MSCs were treated with 0.5 mM H2O2, and apoptotic cells were measured by terminal dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The 129/svj mice, which were challenged with anti-GBM antibodies, were injected with 10⁶ hGSTM2-MSCs via the tail vein. Expression of hGSTM2 and inflammatory cytokines in the kidney was assayed by quantitative PCR and western blotting. Renal function of mice was evaluated by monitoring proteinuria and levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and renal pathological changes were analyzed by histochemistry. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to measure inflammatory cell infiltration and renal cell apoptosis. MSCs transduced with hGSTM2 exhibited similar growth and differentiation properties to MSCs. hGSTM2-MSCs persistently expressed hGSTM2 and resisted H2O2-induced apoptosis. Upon injection into 129/svj mice, hGSTM2-MSCs migrated to the kidney and expressed hGSTM2. The anti-GBM-GN mice treated with hGSTM2-MSCs exhibited reduced proteinuria and BUN (58% and 59% reduction, respectively) and ameliorated renal pathological damage, compared with control mice. Mice injected with hGSTM2-MSCs showed

Ganoderma tsugae Hepatoprotection against Exhaustive Exercise-Induced Liver Injury in Rats

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Wan-Teng Lin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Several studies have been shown that accelerated apoptosis is involved in post-exercise lymphocytopenia and tissue damage after high-intensity exercise. Ganoderma tsugae (GT is one of the well-known medicinal mushrooms that possess various pharmacological functions. This mushroom has traditionally been used for health promotion purposes. This study investigates the hepatoprotective effects of GT on exhaustive exercise-induced liver damage. Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups and designated as exhaustive exercise only (E, exhaustive exercise with low dosage (EL, medium dosage (EM and high dosage (EH GT at 0, 0.1875, 0.9375 and 1.875 g/kg/day, respectively. After 30 days all rats were euthanized immediately after an exhaustive running challenge on a motorized treadmill. The rat livers were immediately harvested. Evidence of apoptotic liver cell death was revealed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL assay and caspases mediated cascade events. DNA fragmentation, an apoptosis process, can be examined using TUNEL assay. A few TUNEL-positive hepatocytes, compared to the exercise only group, were observed in the livers from exhaustive animals supplemented with GT. Immunoblot analysis also showed that caspase-6-mediated specific cleavage of lamin A/C was increased significantly in the livers of group E, but was significantly decreased in the EM and EH groups. Our observations demonstrate that GT possesses anti-apoptotic and hepatoprotective potential after exhaustive exercise.

Ganoderma tsugae hepatoprotection against exhaustive exercise-induced liver injury in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chi-Chang; Huang, Wen-Ching; Yang, Suh-Ching; Chan, Chih-Chi; Lin, Wan-Teng

2013-01-29

Several studies have been shown that accelerated apoptosis is involved in post-exercise lymphocytopenia and tissue damage after high-intensity exercise. Ganoderma tsugae (GT) is one of the well-known medicinal mushrooms that possess various pharmacological functions. This mushroom has traditionally been used for health promotion purposes. This study investigates the hepatoprotective effects of GT on exhaustive exercise-induced liver damage. Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups and designated as exhaustive exercise only (E), exhaustive exercise with low dosage (EL), medium dosage (EM) and high dosage (EH) GT at 0, 0.1875, 0.9375 and 1.875 g/kg/day, respectively. After 30 days all rats were euthanized immediately after an exhaustive running challenge on a motorized treadmill. The rat livers were immediately harvested. Evidence of apoptotic liver cell death was revealed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and caspases mediated cascade events. DNA fragmentation, an apoptosis process, can be examined using TUNEL assay. A few TUNEL-positive hepatocytes, compared to the exercise only group, were observed in the livers from exhaustive animals supplemented with GT. Immunoblot analysis also showed that caspase-6-mediated specific cleavage of lamin A/C was increased significantly in the livers of group E, but was significantly decreased in the EM and EH groups. Our observations demonstrate that GT possesses anti-apoptotic and hepatoprotective potential after exhaustive exercise.

The contribution of p53 and Y chromosome long arm genes to regulation of apoptosis in mouse testis.

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Lech, Tomasz; Styrna, Józefa; Kotarska, Katarzyna

2018-03-01

Apoptosis of excessive or defective germ cells is a natural process occurring in mammalian testes. Tumour suppressor protein p53 is involved in this process both in developing and adult male gonads. Its contribution to testicular physiology is known to be modified by genetic background. The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined influence of the p53 and Y chromosome long arm genes on male germ cell apoptosis. Knockout of the transformation related protein 53 (Trp53) gene was introduced into congenic strains: B10.BR (intact Y chromosome) and B10.BR-Ydel (Y chromosome with a deletion in the long arm). The level of apoptosis in the testes of 19-day-old and 3-month-old male mice was determined using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate in situ nick-end labelling (TUNEL) method. The study revealed that although p53 is involved in germ cell apoptosis in peripubertal testes, this process can also be mediated by p53-independent mechanisms. However, activation of p53-independent apoptotic pathways in the absence of the p53 protein requires engagement of the multicopy Yq genes and was not observed in gonads of B10.BR-Ydel-p53-/- males. The role of Yq genes in the regulation of testicular apoptosis seems to be restricted to the initial wave of spermatogenesis and is not evident in adult gonads. The study confirmed, instead, that p53 does participate in spontaneous apoptosis in mature testes.

3-Bromopyruvate induces endoplasmic reticulum stress, overcomes autophagy and causes apoptosis in human HCC cell lines.

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Ganapathy-Kanniappan, Shanmugasundaram; Geschwind, Jean-Francois H; Kunjithapatham, Rani; Buijs, Manon; Syed, Labiq H; Rao, Pramod P; Ota, Shinichi; Kwak, Byung Kook; Loffroy, Romaric; Vali, Mustafa

2010-03-01

Autophagy, a cellular response to stress, plays a role in resistance to chemotherapy in cancer cells. Resistance renders systemic chemotherapy generally ineffective against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, we reported that the pyruvate analog 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA) promoted tumor cell death by targeting GAPDH. In continuance, we investigated the intracellular response of two human HCC cell lines (Hep3B and SK-Hep1) that differ in their status of key apoptotic regulators, p53 and Fas. 3-BrPA treatment induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, translation inhibition and apoptosis based on Western blot and qPCR, pulse labeling, Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and active caspase-3 in both the cell lines. However, electron microscopy revealed that 3-BrPA treated SK-Hep1 cells underwent classical apoptotic cell death while Hep3B cells initially responded with the protective autophagy that failed to prevent eventual apoptosis. 3-BrPA treatment promotes apoptosis in human HCC cell lines, irrespective of the intracellular response.

Functional recovery in rat spinal cord injury induced by hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning.

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Lu, Pei-Gang; Hu, Sheng-Li; Hu, Rong; Wu, Nan; Chen, Zhi; Meng, Hui; Lin, Jiang-Kai; Feng, Hua

2012-12-01

It is a common belief that neurosurgical interventions can cause inevitable damage resulting from the procedure itself in surgery especially for intramedullary spinal cord tumors. The present study was designed to examine if hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning (HBO-PC) was neuroprotective against surgical injuries using a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI). Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: HBO-PC group, hypobaric hypoxic preconditioning (HH-PC) control group, and normobaric control group. All groups were subjected to SCI by weight drop device. Rats from each group were examined for neurological behavior and electrophysiological function. Tissue sections were analyzed by using immunohistochemistry, TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling, and axonal tract tracing. Significant neurological deficits were observed after SCI and HBO-PC and HH-PC improved neurological deficits 1 week post-injury. The latencies of motor-evoked potential and somatosensory-evoked potential were significantly delayed after SCI, which was attenuated by HBO-PC and HH-PC. Compared with normobaric control group, pretreatment with HBO and hypobaric hypoxia significantly reduced the number of TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling-positive cells, and increased nestin-positive cells. HBO-PC and HH-PC enhanced axonal growth after SCI. In conclusion, preconditioning with HBO and hypobaric hypoxia can facilitate functional recovery and suppress cell apoptosis after SCI and may prove to be a useful preventive strategy to neurosurgical SCI.

Identification of the S-transferase like superfamily bacillithiol transferases encoded by Bacillus subtilis

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Perera, Varahenage R.; Lapek, John D.; Newton, Gerald L.; Gonzalez, David J.; Pogliano, Kit

2018-01-01

Bacillithiol is a low molecular weight thiol found in Firmicutes that is analogous to glutathione, which is absent in these bacteria. Bacillithiol transferases catalyze the transfer of bacillithiol to various substrates. The S-transferase-like (STL) superfamily contains over 30,000 putative members, including bacillithiol transferases. Proteins in this family are extremely divergent and are related by structural rather than sequence similarity, leaving it unclear if all share the same biochemical activity. Bacillus subtilis encodes eight predicted STL superfamily members, only one of which has been shown to be a bacillithiol transferase. Here we find that the seven remaining proteins show varying levels of metal dependent bacillithiol transferase activity. We have renamed the eight enzymes BstA-H. Mass spectrometry and gene expression studies revealed that all of the enzymes are produced to varying levels during growth and sporulation, with BstB and BstE being the most abundant and BstF and BstH being the least abundant. Interestingly, several bacillithiol transferases are induced in the mother cell during sporulation. A strain lacking all eight bacillithiol transferases showed normal growth in the presence of stressors that adversely affect growth of bacillithiol-deficient strains, such as paraquat and CdCl2. Thus, the STL bacillithiol transferases represent a new group of proteins that play currently unknown, but potentially significant roles in bacillithiol-dependent reactions. We conclude that these enzymes are highly divergent, perhaps to cope with an equally diverse array of endogenous or exogenous toxic metabolites and oxidants. PMID:29451913

Desvio da proporção de sexo e da integridade do DNA dos espermatozóides bovinos centrifugados em gradientes de densidade contínuos Alteration of sex ratio and DNA integrity of bovine sperm centrifuged in continuous density gradients

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Alberto Lopes Gusmão

2010-03-01

Full Text Available O objetivo, neste trabalho, foi verificar o desvio da proporção de sexo e a presença de fragmentação do DNA, pela técnica de TUNEL (“In situ terminal deoxinucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay”, em espermatozoides bovinos centrifugados em gradientes de densidade de Percoll ou OptiPrep durante a separação espermática. Doses de sêmen de touros foram descongeladas, e cerca de 40 milhões de espermatozoides foram depositados sobre cada gradiente de densidade compostos por Percoll ou OptiPrep com três camadas entre 1.110g/mL e 1.123g/mL, em tubos de 15mL, em que permaneceram por 24h a 4°C antes da deposição dos espermatozoides. Os tubos foram centrifugados a 500xg por 15min a 22°C. Os sobrenadantes foram aspirados, e os sedimentos, recuperados para verificação da fragmentação do DNA pela técnica de TUNEL. Obteve-se um desvio dos embriões produzidos in vitro para fêmeas no gradiente de Percoll (62% de fêmeas, em relação aos grupos OptiPrep e Controle (47,1 e 48,7% de fêmeas, respectivamente. Não foi detectada fragmentação do DNA dos espermatozoides nas amostras centrifugadas, tanto no gradiente de Percoll quanto de OptiPrep. Dessa forma, foi possível realizar a sexagem espermática, com uma maior porcentagem de espermatozoides X do que o grupo controle, por meio de metodologia mais simples e sem provocar danos ao DNA dos espermatozoides.The objective of the present study was to verify the sex ratio and presence of DNA fragmentation by TUNEL technique (In situ terminal deoxinucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay in bovine spermatozoa centrifuged in density gradients of Percoll or OptiPrep during the sperm separation. Approximately 40 million of frozen/thawed bovine spermatozoa were deposited on each density gradient composed of Percoll or OptiPrep with three layers ranging from 1.110g/mL to 1.123g/mL in polystyrene tubes of 15mL. The tubes were kept at 4°C for 24h before

3' end labelling of RNA with /sup 32/P suitable for rapid gel sequencing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winter, G; Brownlee, G G [Medical Research Council, Cambridge (UK)

1978-09-01

A new general method of labelling the 2', 3'-diol end of RNA with /sup 32/P has been devised suitable for gel sequencing. Poly(A) polymerase (E.coli) is incubated with the RNA and limiting amounts of ..cap alpha..-/sup 32/P-ATP. The mono-addition product is then cleaved with periodate and ..beta..-eliminated with aniline, leaving the RNA terminally labelled with 3'/sup 32/P-phosphate. When applied to a model compound, tRNAsup(Phe) from E. coli, over 28 residues could be read from the 3' end.

Detection of radiation-induced apoptosis using the comet assay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wada, Seiichi; Kobayashi, Yasuhiko; Funayama, Tomoo; Yamamoto, Kazuo; Khoa, Tran Van; Natsuhori, Masahiro; Ito, Nobuhiko

2003-01-01

The electrophoresis pattern of apoptotic cells detected by the comet assay has a characteristic small head and spread tail. This image has been referred to as an apoptotic comet, but it has not been previously proven to be apoptotic cells by any direct method. In order to identify this image obtained by the comet assay as corresponding to an apoptotic cell, the frequency of appearance of apoptosis was examined using CHO-K1 and L5178Y cells which were exposed to gamma irradiation. As a method for detecting apoptosis, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was used. When the frequency of appearance of apoptotic cells following gamma irradiation was observed over a period of time, there was a significant increase in appearance of apoptosis when using the TUNEL assay. However, there was only a slight increase when using the comet assay. In order to verify the low frequency of appearance of apoptosis when using the comet assay, we attempted to use the TUNEL assay to satin the apoptotic comets detected in the comet assay. The apoptotic comets were TUNEL positive and the normal comets were TUNEL negative. This indicates that the apoptotic comets were formed from DNA fragments with 3'-hydroxy ends that are generated as cells undergo apoptosis. Therefore, it was understood that the characteristic pattern of apoptotic comets detected by the comet assay corresponds to cells undergoing apoptosis. (author)

The Extract of Aster Koraiensis Prevents Retinal Pericyte Apoptosis in Diabetic Rats and Its Active Compound, Chlorogenic Acid Inhibits AGE Formation and AGE/RAGE Interaction

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Junghyun Kim

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Retinal capillary cell loss is a hallmark of early diabetic retinal changes. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs are believed to contribute to retinal microvascular cell loss in diabetic retinopathy. In this study, the protective effects of Aster koraiensis extract (AKE against damage to retinal vascular cells were investigated in streptozotocin (STZ-induced diabetic rats. To examine this issue further, AGE accumulation, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS were investigated using retinal trypsin digests from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. In the diabetic rats, TUNEL (Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling-positive retinal microvascular cells were markedly increased. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that AGEs were accumulated within the retinal microvascular cells, and this accumulation paralleled the activation of NF-κB and the expression of iNOS in the diabetic rats. However, AKE prevented retinal microvascular cell apoptosis through the inhibition of AGE accumulation and NF-κB activation. Moreover, to determine the active compounds of AKE, two major compounds, chlorogenic acid and 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, were tested in an in vitro assay. Among these compounds, chlorogenic acid significantly reduced AGE formation as well as AGE/RAGE (receptor for AGEs binding activity. These results suggest that AKE, particularly chlorogenic acid, is useful in inhibiting AGE accumulation in retinal vessels and exerts a preventive effect against the injuries of diabetic retinal vascular cells.

Effect of ionizing radiation on apoptosis in the cortex of mouse lymph node

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Dong; Liu Jiamei; Liu Shuzheng

1999-01-01

Objective: To study the alteration of apoptosis in the cortex of mouse lymph node following whole body X-irradiation. Methods: The method of TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) was used to detect apoptosis the cortex of mouse lymph node. Results: The sensitivity to high and low dose ionizing radiation was distinct in different area of the cortex. Conclusion: The decrease of apoptotic cells in the inter nodular and deep cortex indicate that low dose radiation may suppress the apoptosis of T lymphocytes and play a role in immune regulation

A 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase mediates non-ribosomal peptide synthetase activation in Aspergillus fumigatus.

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Neville, Claire; Murphy, Alan; Kavanagh, Kevin; Doyle, Sean

2005-04-01

Aspergillus fumigatus is a significant human pathogen. Non-ribosomal peptide (NRP) synthesis is thought to be responsible for a significant proportion of toxin and siderophore production in the organism. Furthermore, it has been shown that 4'-phosphopantetheinylation is required for the activation of key enzymes involved in non-ribosomal peptide synthesis in other species. Here we report the cloning, recombinant expression and functional characterisation of a 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase from A. fumigatus and the identification of an atypical NRP synthetase (Afpes1), spanning 14.3 kb. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that the NRP synthetase exhibits greatest identity to NRP synthetases from Metarhizium anisolpiae (PesA) and Alternaria brassicae (AbrePsy1). Northern hybridisation and RT-PCR analysis have confirmed that both genes are expressed in A. fumigatus. A 120 kDa fragment of the A. fumigatus NRP synthetase, containing a putative thiolation domain, was cloned and expressed in the baculovirus expression system. Detection of a 4'-phosphopantetheinylated peptide (SFSAMK) from this protein, by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric analysis after coincubation of the 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase with the recombinant NRP synthetase fragment and acetyl CoA, confirms that it is competent to play a role in NRP synthetase activation in A. fumigatus. The 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase also activates, by 4'-phosphopantetheinylation, recombinant alpha-aminoadipate reductase (Lys2p) from Candida albicans, a key enzyme involved in lysine biosynthesis.

Toxicity assessment of perfluorooctane sulfonate using acute and subchronic male C57BL/6J mouse models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing, Jiali; Wang, Gang; Zhao, Jichun; Wang, Eryin; Yin, Boxing; Fang, Dongsheng; Zhao, Jianxin; Zhang, Hao; Chen, Yong Q.; Chen, Wei

2016-01-01

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a principal representative and the final degradation product of several commercially produced perfluorinated compounds. However, PFOS has a high bioaccumulation potential and therefore can exert toxicity on aquatic organisms, animals, and cells. Considering the widespread concern this phenomenon has attracted, we examined the acute and subchronic toxic effects of varying doses of PFOS on adult male C57BL/6 mice. The acute oral LD_5_0 value of PFOS in male C57BL/6J mice was 0.579 g/kg body weight (BW). Exposure to the subchronic oral toxicity of PFOS at 2.5, 5, and 10 mg PFOS/kg BW/day for 30 days disrupted the homeostasis of antioxidative systems, induced hepatocellular apoptosis (as revealed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay), triggered liver injury (as evidenced by the increased serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and by the altered histology), and ultimately increased the liver size and relative weight of the mice. PFOS treatment caused liver damage but only slightly affected the kidneys and spleen of the mice. This study provided insights into the toxicological effects of PFOS. - Highlights: • The acute and subchronic toxicity of PFOS was systematically investigated. • The acute oral LD_5_0 value for PFOS in C57BL/6J mice was 0.579 g/kg body weight. • PFOS disrupted the homeostasis of antioxidative systems. • PFOS induced hepatocellular apoptosis and triggered liver injury. - PFOS disrupted the homeostasis of antioxidative systems, induced hepatocellular apoptosis, and triggered liver injury.

Divalent metal ion differentially regulates the sequential nicking reactions of the GIY-YIG homing endonuclease I-BmoI.

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Benjamin P Kleinstiver

Full Text Available Homing endonucleases are site-specific DNA endonucleases that function as mobile genetic elements by introducing double-strand breaks or nicks at defined locations. Of the major families of homing endonucleases, the modular GIY-YIG endonucleases are least understood in terms of mechanism. The GIY-YIG homing endonuclease I-BmoI generates a double-strand break by sequential nicking reactions during which the single active site of the GIY-YIG nuclease domain must undergo a substantial reorganization. Here, we show that divalent metal ion plays a significant role in regulating the two independent nicking reactions by I-BmoI. Rate constant determination for each nicking reaction revealed that limiting divalent metal ion has a greater impact on the second strand than the first strand nicking reaction. We also show that substrate mutations within the I-BmoI cleavage site can modulate the first strand nicking reaction over a 314-fold range. Additionally, in-gel DNA footprinting with mutant substrates and modeling of an I-BmoI-substrate complex suggest that amino acid contacts to a critical GC-2 base pair are required to induce a bottom-strand distortion that likely directs conformational changes for reaction progress. Collectively, our data implies mechanistic roles for divalent metal ion and substrate bases, suggesting that divalent metal ion facilitates the re-positioning of the GIY-YIG nuclease domain between sequential nicking reactions.

Cytokine-induced activation of glial cells in the mouse brain is enhanced at an advanced age.

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Deng, X-H; Bertini, G; Xu, Y-Z; Yan, Z; Bentivoglio, M

2006-08-25

Numerous neurological diseases which include neuroinflammatory components exhibit an age-related prevalence. The aging process is characterized by an increase of inflammatory mediators both systemically and in the brain, which may prime glial cells. However, little information is available on age-related changes in the glial response of the healthy aging brain to an inflammatory challenge. This problem was here examined using a mixture of the proinflammatory cytokines interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, which was injected intracerebroventricularly in young (2-3.5 months), middle-aged (10-11 months) and aged (18-21 months) mice. Vehicle (phosphate-buffered saline) was used as control. After a survival of 1 or 2 days (all age groups) or 4 days (young and middle-aged animals), immunohistochemically labeled astrocytes and microglia were investigated both qualitatively and quantitatively. In all age groups, astrocytes were markedly activated in periventricular as well as in deeper brain regions 2 days following cytokine treatment, whereas microglia activation was already evident at 24 h. Interestingly, cytokine-induced activation of both astrocytes and microglia was significantly more marked in the brain of aged animals, in which it included numerous ameboid microglia, than of younger age groups. Moderate astrocytic activation was also seen in the hippocampal CA1 field of vehicle-treated aged mice. FluoroJade B histochemistry and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated UTP nick-end labeling technique, performed at 2 days after cytokine administration, did not reveal ongoing cell death phenomena in young or aged animals. This indicated that glial cell changes were not secondary to neuronal death. Altogether, the findings demonstrate for the first time enhanced activation of glial cells in the old brain, compared with young and middle-aged subjects, in response to cytokine exposure. Interestingly, the results also suggest that such enhancement

Immunohistochemical proliferation markers may overestimate the growth potential after ionizing radiation. In vivo study in the rat anterior pituitary gland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakasu, Satoshi; Fukami, Tadateru; Matsuda, Masayuki; Nakasu, Yoko

2003-01-01

The effect of ionizing radiation on the expression of immunohistochemical proliferation markers was examined in the rat pituitary gland. Rats were irradiated in the pituitary region with a dose of 40 Gy, or were sham-irradiated as controls. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was given to the rats after one week, either one hour (Br-1 group) or 17 hours (Br-17 group) before perfusion fixation. Immunohistochemical staining for BrdU, topoisomerase II-alpha (TopoII), Ki-67 (MIB-5), p21 WAF1/CiP1 (p21), and p27 Kip1 (p27) was performed. Apoptotic cells were detected by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end-labeling method. The mean BrdU labeling index (LI) and MIB-5 LI were significantly higher in the irradiated rats than in the sham rats in the Br-1 group. TopoII LI was higher in the irradiated rats than in the sham rats, although not significantly. p27-positive cells decreased in irradiated rats, but p21-positive cells increased more than in the sham rats. The number of apoptotic cells increased significantly after radiation. BrdU LIs were lower in the irradiated rats than in the sham rats in the Br-17 group. A few small BrdU-positive fragments with apoptotic features were phagocytosed in the anterior lobe cells. These results indicate that some ''immunohistochemically proliferating cells'' subsequently undergo apoptosis in the irradiated pituitary gland. The values of proliferative indices should be cautiously interpreted after irradiation of tissue. (author)

Recombinant adenovirus-mediated overexpression of PTEN and KRT10 improves cisplatin resistance of ovarian cancer in vitro and in vivo.

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Wu, H; Wang, K; Liu, W; Hao, Q

2015-06-18

Drug resistance is a major cause of treatment failure in ovarian cancer patients, and novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Overexpression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) has been shown to preserve the cisplatin-resistance of ovarian cancer cells, while cisplatin-induced keratin 10 (KRT10) overexpression mediates the resistance-reversing effect of PTEN. However, whether overexpression of PTEN or KRT10 can improve the cisplatin resistance of ovarian cancer in vivo has not been investigated. Therefore, we investigated the effects of adenovirus-mediated PTEN or KRT10 overexpression on the cisplatin resistance of ovarian cancer in vivo. Recombinant adenoviruses carrying the gene for PTEN or KRT10 were constructed. The effects of overexpression of PTEN and KRT10 on cisplatin resistance of ovarian cancer cells were examined using the 3(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assays in vitro. Subcutaneously transplanted nude mice, as a model of human ovarian cancer, were used to test the effects of PTEN and KRT10 on cisplatin resistance of ovarian cancer in vivo. The MTT assay showed that recombinant adenovirus-mediated overexpression of KRT10 and PTEN enhanced the proliferation inhibition effect of cisplatin on C13K cells. Recombinant adenovirus-mediated overexpression of KRT10 and PTEN also increased the cisplatin-induced apoptosis rate of C13K cells. Furthermore, recombinant adenovirus-mediated overexpression of KRT10 and PTEN enhanced the inhibitory effect of cisplatin on C13K xenograft tumor growth. Thus, recombinant adenovirus-mediated overexpression of KRT10 and PTEN may improve the cisplatin resistance of ovarian cancer in vitro and in vivo.

Transferases in Polymer Chemistry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Vlist, Jeroen; Loos, Katja; Palmans, ARA; Heise, A

2010-01-01

Transferases are enzymes that catalyze reactions in which a group is transferred from one compound to another. This makes these enzymes ideal catalysts for polymerization reactions. In nature, transferases are responsible for the synthesis of many important natural macromolecules. In synthetic

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma with ethanol and iodized-oil emulsion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao Enhua; Hu Guodong; Li Jinqing

2005-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization using ethanol and iodized-oil emulsion (TACE-EIOE) on prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Eighteen patients with histologically-proven HCC were underwent TACE-EIOE. The extent of apoptosis was analyzed by terminal deoxynucleotidy transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, p53, Ki-67 and PCNA proteins were detected by immunohistochemical method. Changes of these markers, tumor necrosis, encapsulation, volume, cumulative survival were analyzed. Results: Complete tumor necrosis was 33.33% (6/18), severe tumor necrosis was 44.44% (8/18), moderate tumor necrosis was 5.56% (1/18), lesser tumor necrosis was 16.67% (3/18). Apoptosis rate was (22.79 ±3.34)%. Complete encapsulation was 88.89% (16/18). Evident volume-lessening was 66.67% (12/18), partial volume-lessening was 22.22% (4/18), and stable volume was 11.11% (2/18). Ki-67, PCNA, p53, Bcl-2, and Bax were (30.93±18.10)%, (41.16±11.83)%, (53.41±18.13)%, (6.32±2.10)%, and (58.73±17.32)%, respectively. The cumulative 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 83.33%, 72.22%, and 66.67% for patients, respectively. Conclusions: The preoperative TACE-EIOE is safe, it might benefit patients with HCC. (authors)

Markers of potential malignancy in chronic hyperplastic candidiasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Darling, Mark R; McCord, Christina; Jackson-Boeters, Linda; Copete, Maria

2012-08-01

To examine the presence of markers associated with malignancy, including p53, p21 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A, murine double minutes-2, and others, in chronic hyperplastic candidiasis. Immunohistochemical methods were used to examine the expression of p53, murine double minutes-2, p21 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A, metallothionein, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in 42 chronic hyperplastic candidiasis lesions and 11 non-infected control tissues. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated digoxigenin-dUTP nick-end labeling was used to examine apoptosis, which was correlated with p53 expression. These markers were measured in lesions of chronic hyperplastic candidiasis that did not show any epithelial dysplasia or histological signs of malignancy. p53 scores were higher in chronic hyperplastic candidiasis than in controls (P = 0.0046). Murine double-minutes 2 levels were not elevated. p21 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A was increased in parabasal (P candidiasis lesions showed a similar basal/parabasal metallothionein staining pattern to that seen in normal squamous epithelium. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen was increased (P = 0.0007), as was apoptosis (P = 0.0033). Increased p53 in oral chronic hyperplastic candidiasis suggests an increased potential for malignant change in the epithelium, above that of normal tissues. Further functional investigation is required, as well as clinical follow-up studies. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Neuroprotective effect of nicorandil through inhibition of apoptosis by the PI3K/Akt1 pathway in a mouse model of deep hypothermic low flow.

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Yu, Di; Fan, Changfeng; Zhang, Weiyan; Wen, Zhongyuan; Hu, Liang; Yang, Lei; Feng, Yu; Yin, Ke-Jie; Mo, Xuming

2015-10-15

Nicorandil exerts a protective effect on ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in the brain and kidney through anti-apoptotic mechanisms. However, the mechanism by which nicorandil protects against I/R injury induced by deep hypothermic low flow (DHLF) remains unclear. We used a cerebral I/R model induced by DHLF to determine the neuroprotective effects and possible mechanisms of nicorandil. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay were used to detect changes in cell morphology and the number of apoptotic cells in hippocampus, respectively. The apoptotic regulators including Bcl-2, Bax, Akt, and p-Akt (the active, phosphorylated form of Akt) were examined by Western blot (WB). Histopathological findings showed that nicorandil significantly alleviated morphological damage in hippocampal and reduced the number of TUNEL-positive nuclei induced by DHLF. Nicorandil also increased the expression of Bcl-2 and decreased the expression of Bax, while increasing p-Akt level. Consistent with these results, nicorandil-mediated neuroprotection was reduced in the Akt1+/- mutant mice and inhibited by LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor. These findings showed that nicorandil provides a neuroprotective role in DHLF-induced I/R injury by inhibiting apoptosis via activation of the PI3K/Akt1 signaling pathway. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of mechanical vs dilute ethanol epithelial removal on keratocyte apoptosis and polymorphonuclear leukocyte migration.

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Gurelik, G; Bilgihan, K; Sezer, C; Akyol, G; Hasanreisoglu, B

2002-03-01

To investigate keratocyte apoptosis and polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell infiltration to the corneal stroma after mechanical epithelial scraping and chemical de-epithelialization with 18% ethanol solution. Twelve New Zealand Albino rabbits (24 eyes) were randomly divided into three groups. Group A was the control group with no epithelial removal. Group B underwent a 7.5-mm mechanical epithelial removal with a blunt spatula. Group C underwent 7.5-mm chemical de-epithelialization with 18% ethanol-balanced salt solution. Corneas were stained with terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay after 24 h. Only nuclear staining in keratocytes was counted. Polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocyte densities were also assessed by light microscopy. Mechanical de-epithelialization (group B) and chemical de-epithelialization with 18% ethanol (group C) showed no difference in keratocyte apoptosis compared with the control group. There was also no difference between groups B and C. Group B showed no difference in PMN leukocyte counts compared with the control group. But the number of PMN leukocytes observed in group C was significantly higher than those encountered in the corneas of the control group (P < 0.05) and group B (P < 0.05). Dilute alcohol induces more PMN cell infiltration when compared with mechanical de-epithelialization although there is no difference in the apoptosis rates.

Trichodermin induces cell apoptosis through mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum stress in human chondrosarcoma cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, Chen-Ming; Wang, Shih-Wei; Lee, Tzong-Huei; Tzeng, Wen-Pei; Hsiao, Che-Jen; Liu, Shih-Chia; Tang, Chih-Hsin

2013-01-01

Chondrosarcoma is the second most common primary bone tumor, and it responds poorly to both chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Nalanthamala psidii was described originally as Myxosporium in 1926. This is the first study to investigate the anti-tumor activity of trichodermin (trichothec-9-en-4-ol, 12,13-epoxy-, acetate), an endophytic fungal metabolite from N. psidii against human chondrosarcoma cells. We demonstrated that trichodermin induced cell apoptosis in human chondrosarcoma cell lines (JJ012 and SW1353 cells) instead of primary chondrocytes. In addition, trichodermin triggered endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress protein levels of IRE1, p-PERK, GRP78, and GRP94, which were characterized by changes in cytosolic calcium levels. Furthermore, trichodermin induced the upregulation of Bax and Bid, the downregulation of Bcl-2, and the dysfunction of mitochondria, which released cytochrome c and activated caspase-3 in human chondrosarcoma. In addition, animal experiments illustrated reduced tumor volume, which led to an increased number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells and an increased level of cleaved PARP protein following trichodermin treatment. Together, this study demonstrates that trichodermin is a novel anti-tumor agent against human chondrosarcoma cells both in vitro and in vivo via mitochondrial dysfunction and ER stress. - Highlights: • Trichodermin induces chondrosarcoma apoptosis. • ER stress is involved in trichodermin-induced cell death. • Trichodermin induces chondrosarcoma death in vivo.

Trichodermin induces cell apoptosis through mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum stress in human chondrosarcoma cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Su, Chen-Ming [Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Wang, Shih-Wei [Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan (China); Lee, Tzong-Huei [Graduate Institute of Pharmacognosy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Tzeng, Wen-Pei [Graduate Institute of Sports and Health, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua, Taiwan (China); Hsiao, Che-Jen [School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Liu, Shih-Chia [Department of Orthopaedics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Tang, Chih-Hsin, E-mail: chtang@mail.cmu.edu.tw [Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Department of Biotechnology, College of Health Science, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan (China)

2013-10-15

Chondrosarcoma is the second most common primary bone tumor, and it responds poorly to both chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Nalanthamala psidii was described originally as Myxosporium in 1926. This is the first study to investigate the anti-tumor activity of trichodermin (trichothec-9-en-4-ol, 12,13-epoxy-, acetate), an endophytic fungal metabolite from N. psidii against human chondrosarcoma cells. We demonstrated that trichodermin induced cell apoptosis in human chondrosarcoma cell lines (JJ012 and SW1353 cells) instead of primary chondrocytes. In addition, trichodermin triggered endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress protein levels of IRE1, p-PERK, GRP78, and GRP94, which were characterized by changes in cytosolic calcium levels. Furthermore, trichodermin induced the upregulation of Bax and Bid, the downregulation of Bcl-2, and the dysfunction of mitochondria, which released cytochrome c and activated caspase-3 in human chondrosarcoma. In addition, animal experiments illustrated reduced tumor volume, which led to an increased number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells and an increased level of cleaved PARP protein following trichodermin treatment. Together, this study demonstrates that trichodermin is a novel anti-tumor agent against human chondrosarcoma cells both in vitro and in vivo via mitochondrial dysfunction and ER stress. - Highlights: • Trichodermin induces chondrosarcoma apoptosis. • ER stress is involved in trichodermin-induced cell death. • Trichodermin induces chondrosarcoma death in vivo.

Lychee Seed Saponins Improve Cognitive Function and Prevent Neuronal Injury via Inhibiting Neuronal Apoptosis in a Rat Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

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Xiuling Wang

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Lychee seed is a traditional Chinese medicine and possesses many activities, including hypoglycemia, liver protection, antioxidation, antivirus, and antitumor. However, its effect on neuroprotection is still unclear. The present study investigated the effects of lychee seed saponins (LSS on neuroprotection and associated mechanisms. We established a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD by injecting Aβ25–35 into the lateral ventricle of rats and evaluated the effect of LSS on spatial learning and memory ability via the Morris water maze. Neuronal apoptosis was analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin stain and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (Tdt-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling analysis, and mRNA expression of caspase-3 and protein expressions of Bax and Bcl-2 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The results showed that LSS remarkably improved cognitive function and alleviated neuronal injury by inhibiting apoptosis in the hippocampus of AD rats. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of caspase-3 and the protein expression of Bax were downregulated, while the protein expression of Bcl-2 and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax were increased by LSS. We demonstrate that LSS significantly improves cognitive function and prevent neuronal injury in the AD rats via regulation of the apoptosis pathway. Therefore, LSS may be developed as a nutritional supplement and sold as a drug for AD prevention and/or treatment.

Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and femtosecond laser LASIK: comparison of corneal wound healing and inflammation

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Dong, Zixian; Zhou, Xingtao; Wu, Jihong; Zhang, Zhehuan; Li, Tao; Zhou, Zimei; Zhang, Shenghai; Li, Gang

2014-01-01

Aim To evaluate and compare early corneal wound healing and inflammatory responses after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) versus femtosecond laser laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Methods Thirty-six eyes of 36 rabbits underwent SMILE, while another 36 eyes of 36 rabbits were treated with femtosecond laser LASIK. All the eyes were subjected to the same refractive correction of −6.00 DS/−1.00 DC. Twelve eyes that had no surgery were included for control. After euthanisation, corneal tissue sections were evaluated with terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay to detect apoptosis at postoperative 4 and 24 h, immunocytochemistry for Ki67 to detect keratocyte proliferation at postoperative day 3, week 1 and month 1, and immunocytochemistry for CD11b to detect inflammation at postoperative day 1, day 3 and week 1, respectively. Results No adverse effects were noted after SMILE or LASIK. Corneal healing postoperatively was uneventful in all cases. There were significantly fewer TUNEL-positive corneal stromal cells after the SMILE procedure at 4 and 24 h postoperatively (pLASIK procedure. In addition, immunocytochemistry showed significantly fewer Ki67-positive cells in the SMILE group than those in the femtosecond laser LASIK group at day 3 and week 1 postoperatively (pLASIK. PMID:24227802

Cellular changes in the hamster testicular interstitium with ageing and after exposure to short photoperiod.

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Beltrán-Frutos, E; Seco-Rovira, V; Ferrer, C; Madrid, J F; Sáez, F J; Canteras, M; Pastor, L M

2016-04-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cellular changes that occur in the hamster testicular interstitium in two very different physiological situations involving testicular involution: ageing and exposure to a short photoperiod. The animals were divided into an 'age group' with three subgroups - young, adult and old animals - and a 'regressed group' with animals subjected to a short photoperiod. The testicular interstitium was characterised by light and electron microscopy. Interstitial cells were studied histochemically with regard to their proliferation, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP in situ nick end labelling (TUNEL+) and testosterone synthetic activity. We identified two types of Leydig cell: Type A cells showed a normal morphology, while Type B cells appeared necrotic. With ageing, pericyte proliferation decreased but there was no variation in the index of TUNEL-positive Leydig cells. In the regressed group, pericyte proliferation was greater and TUNEL-positive cells were not observed in the interstitium. The testicular interstitium suffered few ultrastructural changes during ageing and necrotic Leydig cells were observed. In contrast, an ultrastructural involution of Leydig cells with no necrosis was observed in the regressed group. In conclusion, the testicular interstitium of Mesocricetus auratus showed different cellular changes in the two groups (age and regressed), probably due to the irreversible nature of ageing and the reversible character of changes induced by short photoperiod.

SPERM MORPHOLOGICAL ABNORMALITIES AS INDICATORS OF DNA FRAGMENTATION AND FERTILIZATION IN ASSISTED REPRODUCTION

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Barbara Dariš

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Background. To determine the relationship between sperm morphological abnormalities, DNA fragmentation and fertilization rate in IVF and ICSI. Methods. Sperm samples from 10 IVF and 20 ICSI cycles were analyzed. Morphology was assessed according to strict criteria, and DNA fragmentation was measured by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT-mediated fluorescein-dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL using a flow cytometry. Results. There was a significant difference in the amount of morphological abnormalities between sperm samples with low (< 20 % and high (≥ 20 % degree of DNA fragmentation. The percentages of amorphous heads (10 vs. 4 % and overall head abnormalities (42 vs. 30 % were significantly higher in sperm samples with elevated degree of DNA fragmentation. No correlation was found between sperm DNA fragmentation and fertilization rate after IVF and ICSI. When the predominant morphological abnormality in sperm samples was determined, a negative correlation was found between the percentage of spermatozoa with elongated heads and fertilization rate in ICSI (r = –0.45, P < 0.05. The fertilization rate after IVF was lower in the case of acrosomal abnormalities (35.3 %, compared to the cases of other predominant morphological abnormalities. Conclusions. Head abnormalities, especially amorphous heads, are related to elevated degree of DNA fragmentation. Predominant abnormal form in sperm samples, such as elongated heads and acrosomal abnormalities, may affect fertilization in ART.

Branchial lesions associated with abundant apoptotic cells in oysters Ostrea edulis of Galicia (NW Spain).

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Mirella da Silva, P; Villalba, Antonio; Sunila, Inke

2006-06-12

An experiment to evaluate differences in growth, mortality and disease susceptibility among Ostrea edulis stocks was performed. Five families were produced from each of 4 oyster populations (Irish, Greek and 2 Galician). The spat were transferred to a raft in the Ria de Arousa (Galicia, Spain) for grow-out. Monthly samples of each family were histologically processed from 2001 to 2003. One of the pathological conditions discovered by this study was the occurrence of extensive branchial lesions characterized by haemocytic infiltration and loss of branchial architecture. Furthermore, abundant atypical cells occurred among the haemocytes in the lesions in the branchial connective and epithelial tissues, but rarely in the mantle. These cells were contracted in size with nuclei showing chromatin condensation and fragmentation. Some nuclear chromatin aggregated under the nuclear membranes into crescent shapes, whereas others were uniformly dense. Those characteristics suggested that the cells were apoptotic haemocytes, which was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and by a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay using the Apoptag Kit on paraffin sections. A low prevalence of gill lesions was detected in some, but not all, families of every origin peaking in July 2002 and April 2003. No etiologic agent was identified by either histology or TEM; thus, the cause of the abundance of apoptotic cells remains unclear.

Cardioprotective Effect of Aloe vera Biomacromolecules Conjugated with Selenium Trace Element on Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats.

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Yang, Yang; Yang, Ming; Ai, Fen; Huang, Congxin

2017-06-01

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the cardioprotection potential and underlying molecular mechanism afforded by a selenium (Se) polysaccharide (Se-AVP) from Aloe vera in the ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) model of rats in vivo. Myocardial I/R injury was induced by occluding the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) for 30 min followed by 2-h continuous reperfusion. Pretreatment with Se-AVP (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) attenuated myocardial damage, as evidenced by reduction of the infarct sizes, increase in serum and myocardial endogenous antioxidants (superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH), and catalase (CAT)), and decrease in the malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the rats suffering I/R injury. This cardioprotective activity afforded by Se-AVP is further supported by the decreased levels of cardiac marker enzymes creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), as well as the rise of myocardial Na + -K + -ATPase and Ca 2+ -Mg 2+ -ATPase activities in I/R rats. Additionally, cardiomyocytic apoptosis was measured by terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining and the result showed that the percent of TUNEL-positive cells in myocardium of Se-AVP-treated groups was lower than I/R rats. In conclusion, we clearly demonstrated that Se-AVP had a protective effect against myocardial I/R injury in rats by augmenting endogenous antioxidants and protecting rat hearts from oxidative stress-induced myocardial apoptosis.

The expression of Smad4 after radiation of electromagnetic pulses and apoptosis in spermatogenic cells in mouse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji Xinxin; Hou Wugang; Zhao Jie; Zhao Yong; Li Wei; Zhang Yuanqiang

2007-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationships between apoptosis induced by radiation of electromagnetic pulses (EMP) and the expression of Smad4 in mouse spermatogenic cells. 40 adult Balb/c mice were used, and 20 were irradiated with whole-body 400kV/m EMP. The mice were sacrificed and specimens were harvested at 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after the irradiation. Histological changes were observed through Hematoxylin-Eosin staining (H-E staining), the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling method (TUNEL method) and the Smad4 expression was observed using immunohistochemistry SABC methods. Severe injuries were observed 1 day after the radiation and seminiferous epithelium was mostly recovered 28d after the radiation. The localization of smad4 was significantly different in EMP group compared to the control group, and the expression densities of smad4 decreased significantly at 7, 14 and 21d after irradiation (p<0.05). TUNEL assays demonstrated that there was a significant increase in the mean apoptotic index (AI) in irradiation groups than that of control groups (p<0.01). The results suggested that Smad4 and TGF-13/Smad signal pathway might play an important role in spermatogenic cells apoptosis induced by radiation of EMP. (authors)

The dimethylthiourea-induced attenuation of cisplatin nephrotoxicity is associated with the augmented induction of heat shock proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuji, Takayuki; Kato, Akihiko; Yasuda, Hideo; Miyaji, Takehiko; Luo, Jinghui; Sakao, Yukitoshi; Ito, Hideaki; Fujigaki, Yoshihide; Hishida, Akira

2009-01-01

Dimethylthiourea (DMTU), a potent hydroxyl radical scavenger, affords protection against cisplatin (CDDP)-induced acute renal failure (ARF). Since the suppression of oxidative stress and the enhancement of heat shock proteins (HSPs) are both reported to protect against CDDP-induced renal damage, we tested whether increased HSP expression is involved in the underlying mechanisms of the DMTU-induced renal protection. We examined the effect of DMTU treatment on the expression of HSPs in the kidney until day 5 following a single injection of CDDP (5 mg/kg BW). DMTU significantly inhibited the CDDP-induced increments of serum creatinine, the number of 8-hydroxyl-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)- and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive tubular cells, and tubular damage score (p < 0.05). CDDP significantly increased renal abundances of HO-1, HSP60, HSP72 and HSP90 at days 1, 3, and 5. DMTU significantly augmented only the expression of HSP60 expression mainly in the cytoplasm of the proximal tubular cells at days 1 and 3 in CDDP-induced ARF. DMTU also inhibited the CDDP-induced increment of Bax, a pro-apoptotic protein, in the fraction of organelles/membranes at day 3. The findings suggest that DMTU may afford protection against CDDP-induced ARF, partially through the early induction of cytoplasmic HSP60, thereby preventing the Bax-mediated apoptosis in renal tubular cells

Resveratrol Enhances Neurite Outgrowth and Synaptogenesis Via Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Following Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation/Reoxygenation Injury

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Fanren Tang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis are critical steps for functional recovery after stroke. Resveratrol promotes neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis, but the underlying mechanism is not well understood, although the Sonic hedgehog (Shh signaling pathway may be involved. Given that resveratrol activates sirtuin (Sirt1, the present study examined whether this is mediated by Shh signaling. Methods: Primary cortical neuron cultures were pretreated with drugs before oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R. Cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated with Cell Counting Kit 8 and by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling, respectively. Neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis were assessed by immunocytochemistry and western blotting, which was also used to examine the expression of Sirt1 and Shh signaling proteins. Results: Resveratrol and the Smoothened (Smo agonist purmophamine, which activates Shh signaling, increased viability, reduced apoptosis, and stimulated neurite outgrowth after OGD/R injury. Moreover, the expression of growth-associated protein(GAP-43, synaptophysin, Shh, Patched (Ptc-1, Smo, glioma-associated oncogene homolog (Gli-1, and Sirt1 were upregulated under these conditions. These effects were reversed by treatment with the Smo inhibitor cyclopamine, whereas the Sirt1 inhibitor sirtinol reduced the levels of Shh, Ptc-1, Smo, and Gli-1. Conclusions: Resveratrol reduces neuronal injury following OGD/R injury and enhances neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis by activating Shh signaling, which in turn induces Sirt1.

[Establishment of a D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide induced acute-on-chronic liver failure model in rats].

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Liu, Xu-hua; Chen, Yu; Wang, Tai-ling; Lu, Jun; Zhang, Li-jie; Song, Chen-zhao; Zhang, Jing; Duan, Zhong-ping

2007-10-01

To establish a practical and reproducible animal model of human acute-on-chronic liver failure for further study of the pathophysiological mechanism of acute-on-chronic liver failure and for drug screening and evaluation in its treatment. Immunological hepatic fibrosis was induced by human serum albumin in Wistar rats. In rats with early-stage cirrhosis (fibrosis stage IV), D-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide were administered. Mortality and survival time were recorded in 20 rats. Ten rats were sacrificed at 4, 8, and 12 hours. Liver function tests and plasma cytokine levels were measured after D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide administration and liver pathology was studied. Cell apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. Most of the rats treated with human albumin developed cirrhosis and fibrosis, and 90% of them died from acute liver failure after administration of D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide, with a mean survival time of (16.1+/-3.7) hours. Liver histopathology showed massive or submassive necrosis of the regenerated nodules, while fibrosis septa were intact. Liver function tests were compatible with massive necrosis of hepatocytes. Plasma level of TNFalpha increased significantly, parallel with the degree of the hepatocytes apoptosis. Plasma IL-10 levels increased similarly as seen in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure. We established an animal model of acute-on-chronic liver failure by treating rats with human serum albumin and later with D-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide. TNFalpha-mediated liver cell apoptoses plays a very important role in the pathogenesis of acute liver failure.

Abnormal Sensory Protein Expression and Urothelial Dysfunction in Ketamine-Related Cystitis in Humans

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Yao Chou Tsai

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose The aim of this study was to analyze patterns of sensory protein expression and urothelial dysfunction in ketamine-related cystitis (KC in humans. Methods Biopsies of bladder mucosa were performed in 29 KC patients during cystoscopy. Then specimens were analyzed for tryptase, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1, E-cadherin, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL with immunofluorescence staining and quantification. In addition, 10 healthy control bladder specimens were analyzed and compared with the KC specimens. Another 16 whole bladder specimens obtained from partial cystectomy were also analyzed for the muscarinic receptors M2 and M3, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS, β-3 adrenergic receptors (β3-ARs, and the P2X3 receptor by western blotting. In addition, 3 normal control bladder specimens were analyzed and compared with the KC specimens. Results The KC bladder mucosa revealed significantly less expression of ZO-1 and E-cadherin, and greater expression of TUNEL and tryptase activity than the control samples. The expression of M3 and β3-AR in the KC specimens was significantly greater than in the controls. The expression of iNOS, eNOS, M2, and P2X3 was not significantly different between the KC and control specimens. Conclusions The bladder tissue of KC patients revealed significant urothelial dysfunction, which was associated with mast-cell mediated inflammation, increased urothelial cell apoptosis, and increased expression of the M3 and β3-AR.

Hibiscus cannabinus feruloyl-coa:monolignol transferase

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Wilkerson, Curtis; Ralph, John; Withers, Saunia; Mansfield, Shawn D.

2016-11-15

The invention relates to isolated nucleic acids encoding a feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase and feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes. The isolated nucleic acids and/or the enzymes enable incorporation of monolignol ferulates into the lignin of plants, where such monolignol ferulates include, for example, p-coumaryl ferulate, coniferyl ferulate, and/or sinapyl ferulate. The invention also includes methods and plants that include nucleic acids encoding a feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzyme and/or feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes.

Neuropeptide Treatment with Cerebrolysin Enhances the Survival of Grafted Neural Stem Cell in an α-Synuclein Transgenic Model of Parkinson's Disease

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Edward Rockenstein

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Neuronal stem cell (NSC grafts have been investigated as a potential neuro-restorative therapy in Parkinson's disease (PD but their use is compromised by the death of grafted cells. We investigated the use of Cerebrolysin (CBL, a neurotrophic peptide mixture, as an adjunct to NSC therapy in the α-synuclein (α-syn transgenic (tg model of PD. In vehicle-treated α-syn tg mice, there was decreased survival of NSCs. In contrast, CBL treatment enhanced the survival of NSCs in α-syn tg groups and ameliorated behavioral deficits. The grafted NSCs showed lower levels of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling positive cells in the CBL-treated mice when compared with vehicle-treated α-syn tg mice. No evidence of tumor growth was detected. Levels of α-syn were similar in the vehicle in CBL-treated tg mice. In conclusion, CBL treatment might be a potential adjuvant for therapeutic NSC grafting in PD.

Evaluation of Dying Vocal Fold Epithelial Cells by Ultrastructural Features and TUNEL Method

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Novaleski, Carolyn K.; Mizuta, Masanobu; Rousseau, Bernard

2016-01-01

Cell death is a regulated mechanism of eliminating cells to maintain tissue homeostasis. This study described two methodological procedures for evaluating cell death in the epithelium of immobilized, approximated, and vibrated vocal folds from 12 New Zealand white breeder rabbits. The gold standard technique of transmission electron microscopy evaluated high-quality ultrastructural criteria of cell death and a common immunohistochemical marker, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling method, to confirm cell death signaling. Results revealed that ultrastructural characteristics of apoptotic cell death, specifically condensed chromatin and apoptotic bodies, were observed after vocal fold vibration and approximation. Although episodes of necrotic cell death were rare, few enlarged cell nuclei were present after vibration and approximation. The vocal fold expresses an immunohistochemical marker for apoptosis along the apical surface of the epithelium. This study provides a solid foundation for future investigations regarding the role of cell death in vocal fold health and disease. PMID:27537846

Seizure-like activity leads to the release of BAD from 14-3-3 protein and cell death in hippocampal neurons in vitro.

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Meller, R; Schindler, C K; Chu, X P; Xiong, Z G; Cameron, J A; Simon, R P; Henshall, D C

2003-05-01

Seizure-induced neuronal death may involve engagement of the BCL-2 family of apoptosis-regulating proteins. In the present study we examined the activation of proapoptotic BAD in cultured hippocampal neurons following seizures induced by removal of chronic glutamatergic transmission blockade. Kynurenic acid withdrawal elicited an increase in seizure-like electrical activity, which was inhibited by blockers of AMPA (CNQX) and NMDA (MK801 and AP5) receptor function. However, only NMDA receptor antagonists inhibited calcium entry as assessed by fura-2, and cell death of hippocampal neurons. Seizures increased proteolysis of caspase-3 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) of cells. Seizure-like activity induced dephosphorylation of BAD and the disruption of its constitutive interaction with 14-3-3 proteins. In turn, BAD dimerized with antiapoptotic BCL-Xl after seizures. However, the absence of neuroprotective effects of pathway intervention suggests that BAD may perform a reinforcement rather than instigator role in cell death following seizures in vitro.

End-labeling of peptide nucleic acid with osmium complex. Voltammetry at carbon and mercury electrodes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Paleček, Emil; Trefulka, Mojmír; Fojta, Miroslav

2009-01-01

Roč. 11, č. 2 (2009), s. 359-362 ISSN 1388-2481 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) KAN400310651; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06035 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50040507; CEZ:AV0Z50040702 Keywords : peptide nucleic acid end-labeling * osmium tetroxide complexes * electroactive labels Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 4.243, year: 2009

Methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity is attenuated in transgenic mice with a null mutation for interleukin-6.

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Ladenheim, B; Krasnova, I N; Deng, X; Oyler, J M; Polettini, A; Moran, T H; Huestis, M A; Cadet, J L

2000-12-01

Increasing evidence implicates apoptosis as a major mechanism of cell death in methamphetamine (METH) neurotoxicity. The involvement of a neuroimmune component in apoptotic cell death after injury or chemical damage suggests that cytokines may play a role in METH effects. In the present study, we examined if the absence of IL-6 in knockout (IL-6-/-) mice could provide protection against METH-induced neurotoxicity. Administration of METH resulted in a significant reduction of [(125)I]RTI-121-labeled dopamine transporters in the caudate-putamen (CPu) and cortex as well as depletion of dopamine in the CPu and frontal cortex of wild-type mice. However, these METH-induced effects were significantly attenuated in IL-6-/- animals. METH also caused a decrease in serotonin levels in the CPu and hippocampus of wild-type mice, but no reduction was observed in IL-6-/- animals. Moreover, METH induced decreases in [(125)I]RTI-55-labeled serotonin transporters in the hippocampal CA3 region and in the substantia nigra-reticulata but increases in serotonin transporters in the CPu and cingulate cortex in wild-type animals, all of which were attenuated in IL-6-/- mice. Additionally, METH caused increased gliosis in the CPu and cortices of wild-type mice as measured by [(3)H]PK-11195 binding; this gliotic response was almost completely inhibited in IL-6-/- animals. There was also significant protection against METH-induced DNA fragmentation, measured by the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end-labeled (TUNEL) cells in the cortices. The protective effects against METH toxicity observed in the IL-6-/- mice were not caused by differences in temperature elevation or in METH accumulation in wild-type and mutant animals. Therefore, these observations support the proposition that IL-6 may play an important role in the neurotoxicity of METH.

Pangahävitaja Leeson : "Ma kahetsen" / Nick Leeson ; interv. Argo Ideon

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Leeson, Nick

2007-01-01

Briti börsimaakler Nick Leeson, kes pankrotistas Baringsi panga ning hävitas 17 miljardit krooni, selgitab, miks ta ei suutnud oma tegevust lõpetada ka siis kui kahjud olid kasvanud juba hiigelsuureks

Leishmania diagnostic and identification py using 32P labelled DNA probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrade, Antero Silva Ribeiro de; Melo, Maria Norma de

1999-10-01

P 32 labelled DNA probes are valious instruments for the parasitic diseases by using hybridization reaction. In this paper we describe the methodology and present the foundations for the radioactive probes production, based on the kinetoplast DNA (kDNA), for the Leishmania diagnostic an identification. We also describe the kDNA purification protocol from Leishmania reference cepa, the process of P 32 labelling of the kDNA by using the nick translation method, gathering, sample preparation and treatment, the optimum conditions for the hybridization reaction and the procedures for the autoradiography

Aralia elata inhibits neurodegeneration by downregulating O-GlcNAcylation of NF-κB in diabetic mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seong-Jae Kim

2017-08-01

Full Text Available AIM: To investigate the role of O-GlcNAcylation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB in retinal ganglion cell (RGC death and analysedthe effect of Aralia elata (AE on neurodegeneration in diabetic mice. METHODS: C57BL/6mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes were fed daily with AE extract or control (CTL diet at the onset of diabetes mellitus (DM. Two months after injection of streptozotocin or saline, the degree of cell death and the expression of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT, N-acetyl-b-D-glucosaminidase (OGA, O-GlcNAcylated proteins, and O-GlcNAcylation of NF-κB were examined. RESULTS: AE did not affect the metabolic status of diabetic mice. The decrease in the inner retinal thickness (P<0.001 vs CTL, P<0.01 vs DM and increases in RGCs with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (P<0.001 vs CTL, P<0.0001 vs DM, glial activation, and active caspase-3 (P<0.0001 vs CTL, P<0.0001 vs DM were blocked in diabetic retinas of AE extract-fed mice. Expression levels of protein O-GlcNAcylation and OGT were increased in diabetic retinas (P<0.0001 vs CTL, and the level of O-GlcNAcylation of the NF-κB p65 subunit was higher in diabetic retinas than in controls (P<0.0001 vs CTL. AE extract downregulated O-GlcNAcylation of NF-κB and prevented neurodegeneration induced by hyperglycemia (P<0.0001 vs DM. CONCLUSION: O-GlcNAcylation of NF-κB is concerned in neuronal degeneration and that AE prevents diabetes-induced RGC apoptosis via downregulation of NF-κB O-GlcNAcylation. Hence, O-GlcNAcylation may be a new object for the treatment of DR, and AE may have therapeutic possibility to prevent diabetes-induced neurodegeneration.

Human DNA ligase III bridges two DNA ends to promote specific intermolecular DNA end joining

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Kukshal, Vandna; Kim, In-Kwon; Hura, Gregory L.; Tomkinson, Alan E.; Tainer, John A.; Ellenberger, Tom

2015-01-01

Mammalian DNA ligase III (LigIII) functions in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA metabolism. In the nucleus, LigIII has functional redundancy with DNA ligase I whereas LigIII is the only mitochondrial DNA ligase and is essential for the survival of cells dependent upon oxidative respiration. The unique LigIII zinc finger (ZnF) domain is not required for catalytic activity but senses DNA strand breaks and stimulates intermolecular ligation of two DNAs by an unknown mechanism. Consistent with this activity, LigIII acts in an alternative pathway of DNA double strand break repair that buttresses canonical non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and is manifest in NHEJ-defective cancer cells, but how LigIII acts in joining intermolecular DNA ends versus nick ligation is unclear. To investigate how LigIII efficiently joins two DNAs, we developed a real-time, fluorescence-based assay of DNA bridging suitable for high-throughput screening. On a nicked duplex DNA substrate, the results reveal binding competition between the ZnF and the oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding domain, one of three domains constituting the LigIII catalytic core. In contrast, these domains collaborate and are essential for formation of a DNA-bridging intermediate by adenylated LigIII that positions a pair of blunt-ended duplex DNAs for efficient and specific intermolecular ligation. PMID:26130724

Minyak ikan Lemuru (Sardinella longicep menurunkan apoptosis osteoblas pada tulang alveolaris tikus wistar (Fish oil of Lemuru (Sardinella longicep reduced the osteoblast apoptosis in wistar rat alveolar bone

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Didin Erma Indahyani

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Periodontal disease is caused by periodontopatogen bacteria resulting the alveolar bone damage. The decrease of osteoblasts and the increased of osteoclasts can cause bone destruction. The decrease of osteoblasts, due to a disturbance of differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Inflammatory mediators are prostaglandin E2 (PGE2, interleukin-1 (IL-1, IL-6 also tumor necrosis alpha (TNF-α stimulates osteoblast apoptosis through gene expression, signaling molecules and receptor-forming osteoblasts. Fish oil of Lemuru, which is widely encountered in Indonesian coast, containing n-3 poly unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs are quite high. Consumption of fish oil shown to reduce the expression of PGE2, IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Lemuru (Sardinella longicep fish oil on osteoblast apoptosis of rat alveolar bone induced periodontal infection. Methods: Thirty Wistar rats, male, age 5 days, divided into 3 groups: group I rats induced with normal saline, group II rats induced by LPS, and group III rats induced with lemuru fish oil and LPS. Each group was divided into 2 sub-groups that would be sacrified at 13 days and 21 days of age. Fish oil was given at a dose 1ml/300-350 grams. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS induced with the purpose to cause periodontal infection in the maxillary buccal fold molar region with dose 5μl LPS/PBS 0.03 ml. After decapitation and decalcification, the maxilla was cut in 5μm thickness. Apoptosis was analyzed on DNA and detected by TUNEL reaction (transferase-mediated digoxigenin-deoxy-UTP nick end labeling. Results: The results showed that apoptosis of osteoblast cells was significantly smaller in rats induced by Lemuru fish oil. Conclusion: The study showed that Lemuru fish oil reduced the osteoblast apoptosis of rats alveolar bone induced periodontal infection by LPS.Latar belakang: Penyakit periodontal akibat bakteri peridontopatogen, menyebabkan

Andrographolide Sensitizes Ras-Transformed Cells to Radiation in vitro and in vivo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hung, Shih-Kai; Hung, Ling-Chien; Kuo, Cheng-Deng

2010-01-01

Purpose: Increasing the sensitivity of tumor cells to radiation is a major goal of radiotherapy. The present study investigated the radiosensitizing effects of andrographolide and examined the molecular mechanisms of andrographolide-mediated radiosensitization. Methods and Materials: An H-ras-transformed rat kidney epithelial (RK3E) cell line was used to measure the radiosensitizing effects of andrographolide in clonogenic assays, 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H tetrazolium bromide assays, and a xenograft tumor growth model. The mechanism of andrographolide-sensitized cell death was analyzed using annexin V staining, caspase 3 activity assays, and terminal transferase uridyl nick end labeling assays. The roles of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and Akt in andrographolide-mediated sensitization were examined using reporter assays, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and Western blotting. Results: Concurrent andrographolide treatment (10 μM, 3 h) sensitized Ras-transformed cells to radiation in vitro (sensitizer enhancement ratio, 1.73). Andrographolide plus radiation (one dose of 300 mg/kg peritumor andrographolide and one dose of 6 Gy radiation) resulted in significant tumor growth delay (27 ± 2.5 days) compared with radiation alone (22 ± 1.5 days; p <.05). Radiation induced apoptotic markers (e.g., caspase-3, membrane reversion, DNA fragmentation), and andrographolide treatment did not promote radiation-induced apoptosis. However, the protein level of activated Akt was significantly reduced by andrographolide. NF-κB activity was elevated in irradiated Ras-transformed cells, and andrographolide treatment significantly reduced radiation-induced NF-κB activity. Conclusion: Andrographolide sensitized Ras-transformed cells to radiation both in vitro and in vivo. Andrographolide-mediated radiosensitization was associated with downregulation of Akt and NF-κB activity. These observations indicate that andrographolide is a novel radiosensitizing agent

The Fas counterattack in vivo: apoptotic depletion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes associated with Fas ligand expression by human esophageal carcinoma.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Bennett, M W

2012-02-03

Various cancer cell lines express Fas ligand (FasL) and can kill lymphoid cells by Fas-mediated apoptosis in vitro. FasL expression has been demonstrated in several human malignancies in vivo. We sought to determine whether human esophageal carcinomas express FasL, and whether FasL expression is associated with increased apoptosis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in vivo, thereby contributing to the immune privilege of the tumor. Using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, respectively, FasL mRNA and protein were colocalized to neoplastic esophageal epithelial cells in all esophageal carcinomas (squamous, n = 6; adenocarcinoma, n = 2). The Extent of FasL expression was variable, with both FasL-positive and FasL-negative neoplastic regions occurring within tumors. TIL were detected by immunohistochemical staining for the leukocyte common Ag, CD45. FasL expression was associated with a mean fourfold depletion of TIL when compared with FasL-negative areas within the same tumors (range 1.6- to 12-fold, n = 6,p < 0.05). Cell death of TIL was detected by dual staining of CD45 (immunohistochemistry) and DNA strand breaks (TUNEL, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling). There was a mean twofold increase in detectable cell death among TIL in FasL-positive areas compared with FasL-negative areas (range 1.6- to 2.4-fold, n = 6, p < 0.05). In conclusion, we demonstrate a statistically significant, quantitative reduction of TIL concomitant with significantly increased TIL apoptosis within FasL-expressing areas of esophageal tumors. Our findings suggest Fas-mediated apoptotic depletion of TIL in response to FasL expression by esophageal cancers, and provide the first direct, quantitative evidence to support the Fas counterattack as a mechanism of immune privilege in vivo in human cancer.

Oxidative stress is involved in Dasatinib-induced apoptosis in rat primary hepatocytes

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Xue, Tao; Luo, Peihua; Zhu, Hong; Zhao, Yuqin [Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Wu, Honghai; Gai, Renhua; Wu, Youping [Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Yang, Bo [Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Yang, Xiaochun, E-mail: yangxiaochun@zju.edu.cn [Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); He, Qiaojun, E-mail: qiaojunhe@zju.edu.cn [Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China)

2012-06-15

Dasatinib, a multitargeted inhibitor of BCR–ABL and SRC kinases, exhibits antitumor activity and extends the survival of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, some patients suffer from hepatotoxicity, which occurs through an unknown mechanism. In the present study, we found that Dasatinib could induce hepatotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo. Dasatinib reduced the cell viability of rat primary hepatocytes, induced the release of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in vitro, and triggered the ballooning degeneration of hepatocytes in Sprague–Dawley rats in vivo. Apoptotic markers (chromatin condensation, cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP) were detected to indicate that the injury induced by Dasatinib in hepatocytes in vitro was mediated by apoptosis. This result was further validated in vivo using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays. Here we found that Dasatinib dramatically increased the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in hepatocytes, reduced the intracellular glutathione (GSH) content, attenuated the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), generated malondialdehyde (MDA), a product of lipid peroxidation, decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential, and activated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) related to oxidative stress and survival. These results confirm that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in Dasatinib-mediated hepatotoxicity. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a typical antioxidant, can scavenge free radicals, attenuate oxidative stress, and protect hepatocytes against Dasatinib-induced injury. Thus, relieving oxidative stress is a viable strategy for reducing Dasatinib-induced hepatotoxicity. -- Highlights: ►Dasatinib shows potential hepatotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo. ►Apoptosis plays a vital role in Dasatinib

Trapping and breaking of in vivo nicked DNA during pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Sharik R.; Kuzminov, Andrei

2013-01-01

Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) offers a high-resolution approach to quantify chromosomal fragmentation in bacteria, measured as percent of chromosomal DNA entering the gel. The degree of separation in PFG depends upon the size of DNA, as well as various conditions of electrophoresis, such as electric field strength (FS), time of electrophoresis, switch time and buffer composition. Here we describe a new parameter, the structural integrity of the sample DNA itself, that influences its migration through PFGs. We show that sub-chromosomal fragments containing both spontaneous and DNA damage-induced nicks are prone to breakage during PFGE. Such breakage at single strand interruptions results in artefactual decrease in molecular weight of linear DNA making accurate determination of the number of double strand breaks difficult. While breakage of nicked sub-chromosomal fragments is FS-independent, some high molecular weight sub-chromosomal fragments are also trapped within wells under the standard PFGE conditions. This trapping can be minimized by lowering the field strength and increasing the time of electrophoresis. We discuss how breakage of nicked DNA may be mechanistically linked to trapping. Our results suggest how to optimize conditions for PFGE when quantifying chromosomal fragmentation induced by DNA damage. PMID:23770235

Nuclear translocation of glutathione S-transferase {pi} is mediated by a non-classical localization signal

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Kawakatsu, Miho [Department of Stem Cell Biology, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8523 (Japan); Goto, Shinji, E-mail: sgoto@nagasaki-u.ac.jp [Department of Stem Cell Biology, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8523 (Japan); Yoshida, Takako; Urata, Yoshishige; Li, Tao-Sheng [Department of Stem Cell Biology, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8523 (Japan)

2011-08-12

Highlights: {yields} Nuclear translocation of GST{pi} is abrogated by the deletion of the last 16 amino acid residues in the carboxy-terminal region, indicating that residues 195-208 of GST{pi} are required for nuclear translocation. {yields} The lack of a contiguous stretch of positively charged amino acid residues within the carboxy-terminal region of GST{pi}, suggests that the nuclear translocation of GST{pi} is mediated by a non-classical nuclear localization signal. {yields} An in vitro transport assay shows that the nuclear translocation of GST{pi} is dependent on cytosolic factors and ATP. -- Abstract: Glutathione S-transferase {pi} (GST{pi}), a member of the GST family of multifunctional enzymes, is highly expressed in human placenta and involved in the protection of cellular components against electrophilic compounds or oxidative stress. We have recently found that GST{pi} is expressed in the cytoplasm, mitochondria, and nucleus in some cancer cells, and that the nuclear expression of GST{pi} appears to correlate with resistance to anti-cancer drugs. Although the mitochondrial targeting signal of GST{pi} was previously identified in the amino-terminal region, the mechanism of nuclear translocation remains completely unknown. In this study, we find that the region of GST{pi}195-208 is critical for nuclear translocation, which is mediated by a novel and non-classical nuclear localization signal. In addition, using an in vitro transport assay, we demonstrate that the nuclear translocation of GST{pi} depends on the cytosolic extract and ATP. Although further experiments are needed to understand in depth the precise mechanism of nuclear translocation of GST{pi}, our results may help to establish more efficient anti-cancer therapy, especially with respect to resistance to anti-cancer drugs.

Arsenic induced apoptosis in rat liver following repeated 60 days exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bashir, Somia; Sharma, Yukti; Irshad, M.; Nag, T.C.; Tiwari, Monica; Kabra, M.; Dogra, T.D.

2006-01-01

Background: Accumulation of the wide spread environmental toxin arsenic in liver results in hepatotoxcity. Exposure to arsenite and other arsenicals has been previously shown to induce apoptosis in certain tumor cell lines at low (1-3 μM) concentration. Aim: The present study was focused to elucidate the role of free radicals in arsenic toxicity and to investigate the nature of in vivo sodium arsenite induced cell death in liver. Methods: Male wistar rats were exposed to arsenite at three different doses of 0.05, 2.5 and 5 mg/l for 60 days. Oxidative stress in liver was measured by estimating pro-oxidant and antioxidant activity in liver. Histopathological examination of liver was carried out by light and transmission electron microscopy. Analysis of DNA fragmentation by gel electrophoresis was used to identify apoptosis after the exposure. Terminal deoxy-nucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP Nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay was used to qualify and quantify apoptosis. Results: A significant increase in cytochrome-P450 and lipid peroxidation accompanied with a significant alteration in the activity of many of the antioxidants was observed, all suggestive of arsenic induced oxidative stress. Histopathological examination under light and transmission electron microscope suggested a combination of ongoing necrosis and apoptosis. DNA-TUNEL showed an increase in apoptotic cells in liver. Agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA of hepatocytes resulted in a characteristic ladder pattern. Conclusion: Chronic arsenic administration induces a specific pattern of apoptosis called post-mitotic apoptosis

Influence of mild traumatic brain injury during pediatric stage on short-term memory and hippocampal apoptosis in adult rats.

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Park, Mi-Sook; Oh, Hyean-Ae; Ko, Il-Gyu; Kim, Sung-Eun; Kim, Sang-Hoon; Kim, Chang-Ju; Kim, Hyun-Bae; Kim, Hong

2014-06-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of neurological deficit in the brain, which induces short- and long-term brain damage, cognitive impairment with/without structural alteration, motor deficits, emotional problems, and death both in children and adults. In the present study, we evaluated whether mild TBI in childhood causes persisting memory impairment until adulthood. Moreover, we investigated the influence of mild TBI on memory impairment in relation with hippocampal apoptosis. For this, step-down avoidance task, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and immunohistochemistry for caspase-3 were performed. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the experiments. The animals were randomly divided into two groups: sham-operation group and TBI-induction group. The mild TBI model was created with an electromagnetic contusion device activated at a velocity of 3.0 m/sec. The results showed that mild TBI during the pediatric stage significantly decreased memory retention. The numbers of TUNEL-positive and caspase-3-positive cells were increased in the TBI-induction group compared to those in the sham-operation group. Defective memory retention and apoptosis sustained up to the adult stage. The present results shows that mild TBI induces long-lasting cognitive impairment from pediatric to adult stages in rats through the high level of apoptosis. The finding of this study suggests that children with mild TBI may need intensive treatments for the reduction of long-lasting cognitive impairment by secondary neuronal damage.

Apoptosis and cell proliferation in the development of gastric carcinomas: associations with c-myc and p53 protein expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Hideaki H; Gobé, Glenda C; Pan, Wenshen; Yoneyama, Juichi; Ebihara, Yoshiro

2002-09-01

Patients with gastric carcinomas have a poor prognosis and low survival rates. The aim of the present paper was to characterize cellular and molecular properties to provide insight into aspects of tumor progression in early compared with advanced gastric cancers. One hundred and nine graded gastric carcinomas (early or advanced stage, undifferentiated or differentiated type) with paired non-cancer tissue were studied to define the correlation between apoptosis (morphology, terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end-labeling), cell proliferation (Ki-67 expression, morphology) and expression and localization of two proteins frequently having altered expression in cancers, namely p53 and c-myc. Overall, apoptosis was lower in early stage, differentiated and undifferentiated gastric carcinomas compared with advanced-stage cancers. Cell proliferation was comparatively high in all stages. There was a high level of p53 positivity in all stages. Only the early- and advanced-stage undifferentiated cancers that were p53 positive had a significantly higher level of apoptosis (P cancers that had either c-myc or p53-positivity. The results indicate that low apoptosis and high cell proliferation combine to drive gastric cancer development. The molecular controls for high cell proliferation of the early stage undifferentiated gastric cancers involve overexpression of both p53 and c-myc. Overexpression of p53 may also control cancer development in that its expression is associated with higher levels of apoptosis in early and late-stage undifferentiated, cancers. Copyright 2002 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd

Prognostic significance of Fas and Fas ligand system-associated apoptosis in gastric cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohno, S; Tachibana, M; Shibakita, M; Dhar, D K; Yoshimura, H; Kinugasa, S; Kubota, H; Masunaga, R; Nagasue, N

2000-12-01

Previous studies indicate that gastric carcinomas express Fas ligand and down-regulate Fas to escape from the host immune attack; however, the prognostic importance of Fas/FasL expression in this tumor is yet to be evaluated. Specimens from 87 gastric carcinoma patients of different stages treated in a defined period with curative intent were evaluated for apoptosis, Fas, FasL, and CD8 expression using an immunohistochemical method. The percentage of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive apoptotic cells expressed as apoptotic index (AI) was higher in 43 patients when the cut-off value was set at the median value. There were no significant correlations between AI and clinicopathologic parameters. Thirty-nine patients showed a high number of CD8+ cells within cancer nests. Positive FasL and Fas expression was seen in 53 and 72 patients, respectively. CD8 and FasL expressions were related only to patients' age. Fas expression had significant correlations with tumor invasion and Lauren classification. There were significant direct correlations between AI and number of nest CD8+ cells and between AI and grade of Fas expression. Apoptotic index, pT stage, CD8 expression, and Fas expression were identified as independent prognostic factors. Spontaneous apoptosis in gastric carcinoma may be an independent prognosticator for survival and is significantly influenced by tumor Fas expression and number of nest CD8 + cells.

Inhibition of miR-155 Protects Against LPS-induced Cardiac Dysfunction and Apoptosis in Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Wang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction represents a major cause of death in intensive care units. Dysregulated microRNAs (miR-155 has been implicated in multiple cardiovascular diseases and miR-155 can be induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS. However, the role of miR-155 in LPS-induced cardiac dysfunction is unclear. Septic cardiac dysfunction in mice was induced by intraperitoneal injection of LPS (5 mg/kg and miR-155 was found to be significantly increased in heart challenged with LPS. Pharmacological inhibition of miR-155 using antagomiR improved cardiac function and suppressed cardiac apoptosis induced by LPS in mice as determined by echocardiography, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick-end labeling (TUNEL assay, and Western blot for Bax and Bcl-2, while overexpression of miR-155 using agomiR had inverse effects. Pea15a was identified as a target gene of miR-155, mediating its effects in controlling apoptosis of cardiomyocytes as evidenced by luciferase reporter assays, quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and TUNEL staining. Noteworthy, miR-155 was also found to be upregulated in the plasma of patients with septic cardiac dysfunction compared to sepsis patients without cardiac dysfunction, indicating a potential clinical relevance of miR-155. The receiver-operator characteristic curve indicated that plasma miR-155 might be a biomarker for sepsis patients developing cardiac dysfunction. Therefore, inhibition of miR-155 represents a novel therapy for septic myocardial dysfunction.

Evaluation of human sperm chromatin status after selection using a modified Diff-Quik stain indicates embryo quality and pregnancy outcomes following in vitro fertilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Tavares, R S; Silva, A F; Lourenço, B; Almeida-Santos, T; Sousa, A P; Ramalho-Santos, J

2013-11-01

Sperm chromatin/DNA damage can be measured by a variety of assays. However, it has been reported that these tests may lose prognostic value in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) cycles when assessed in post-prepared samples, possibly due to the normalizing effect promoted by sperm preparation procedures. We have recently implemented a modified version of the Diff-Quik staining assay that allows for the evaluation of human sperm chromatin status in native samples, together with standard sperm morphology assessment. However, the value of this parameter in terms of predicting in vitro fertilization (IVF) and Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes after sperm selection is unknown. In this study, data from 138 couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) or Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatments showed that sperm chromatin integrity was significantly improved after density gradient centrifugation and swim up (p embryo development rates (p > 0.05). However, sperm samples presenting lower percentages of damaged chromatin were associated with better quality (Grade I) embryos in both ART procedures (p selection may occur; but not in ICSI, where sperm selection is operator dependent. This quick and low-cost assay is suggested as an alternative method to detect sperm chromatin status in minimal clinical settings, when no other well-established and robust assays (e.g. Sperm chromatin structure assay, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUDP nick-end labelling) are available. © 2013 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.

Cell cycle arrest induced by inhibitors of epigenetic modifications in maize (Zea mays) seedling leaves: characterization of the process and possible mechanisms involved.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Pu; Zhang, Hao; Hou, Haoli; Wang, Qing; Li, Yingnan; Huang, Yan; Xie, Liangfu; Gao, Fei; He, Shibin; Li, Lijia

2016-07-01

Epigenetic modifications play crucial roles in the regulation of chromatin architecture and are involved in cell cycle progression, including mitosis and meiosis. To explore the relationship between epigenetic modifications and the cell cycle, we treated maize (Zea mays) seedlings with six different epigenetic modification-related inhibitors and identified the postsynthetic phase (G2 ) arrest via flow cytometry analysis. Total H4K5ac levels were significantly increased and the distribution of H3S10ph signalling was obviously changed in mitosis under various treatments. Further statistics of the cells in different periods of mitosis confirmed that the cell cycle was arrested at preprophase. Concentrations of hydrogen peroxide were relatively higher in the treated plants and the antioxidant thiourea could negate the influence of the inhibitors. Moreover, all of the treated plants displayed negative results in the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labelling (TUNEL) and γ-H2AX immunostaining assays after exposure for 3 d. Additionally, the expression level of topoisomerase genes in the treated plants was relatively lower than that in the untreated plants. These results suggest that these inhibitors of epigenetic modifications could cause preprophase arrest via reactive oxygen species formation inhibiting the expression of DNA topoisomerase genes, accompanied by changes in the H4K5ac and H3S10ph histone modifications. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Hydrogen-rich saline ameliorates the severity of L-arginine-induced acute pancreatitis in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Han; Sun, Yan Ping; Li, Yang; Liu, Wen Wu; Xiang, Hong Gang; Fan, Lie Ying; Sun, Qiang; Xu, Xin Yun; Cai, Jian Mei; Ruan, Can Ping; Su, Ning; Yan, Rong Lin; Sun, Xue Jun; Wang, Qiang

2010-01-01

Molecular hydrogen, which reacts with the hydroxyl radical, has been considered as a novel antioxidant. Here, we evaluated the protective effects of hydrogen-rich saline on the L-arginine (L-Arg)-induced acute pancreatitis (AP). AP was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by giving two intraperitoneal injections of L-Arg, each at concentrations of 250 mg/100 g body weight, with an interval of 1 h. Hydrogen-rich saline (>0.6 mM, 6 ml/kg) or saline (6 ml/kg) was administered, respectively, via tail vein 15 min after each L-Arg administration. Severity of AP was assessed by analysis of serum amylase activity, pancreatic water content and histology. Samples of pancreas were taken for measuring malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase. Apoptosis in pancreatic acinar cell was determined with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling technique (TUNEL). Expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) were detected with immunohistochemistry. Hydrogen-rich saline treatment significantly attenuated the severity of L-Arg-induced AP by ameliorating the increased serum amylase activity, inhibiting neutrophil infiltration, lipid oxidation and pancreatic tissue edema. Moreover, hydrogen-rich saline treatment could promote acinar cell proliferation, inhibit apoptosis and NF-κB activation. These results indicate that hydrogen treatment has a protective effect against AP, and the effect is possibly due to its ability to inhibit oxidative stress, apoptosis, NF-κB activation and to promote acinar cell proliferation.

Heme oxygenase-1 prevents hyperthyroidism induced hepatic damage via an antioxidant and antiapoptotic pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Giriş, Murat; Erbil, Yeşim; Depboylu, Bilge; Mete, Ozgür; Türkoğlu, Umit; Abbasoğlu, Semra Doğru; Uysal, Müjdat

2010-12-01

The exact pathogenesis of hepatic dysfunction in hyperthyroidism is still unknown. We aimed to investigate the pathogenesis of liver dysfunction caused by hyperthyroidism through inducing heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression, which has antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties. Rats were divided into six groups: untreated (group 1), treated with zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) (group 2), treated with hemin (group 3), treated with tri-iodothyronine (T3) (group 4), treated with T3 and ZnPP (group 5), and treated with T3 and hemin (group 6). After 22 d, oxidative stress and antioxidant enzymes and the expression of HO-1, mitochondrial permeability transition, cytochrome c, Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-3 activity, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay were examined. Hyperthyroidism induced oxidative stress of liver tissue was ameliorated by HO-1 induction. Administration of hemin (HO-1 inducer) increased Bcl-2 expression. Decreased expression of cytochrome c was accompanied by a decrease in caspase-3, caspase-8, Bax expression, and caspase-3 activity. The apoptotic activity and oxidative damage were found to be increased by the administration of ZnPP (HO-1 inhibitor). Immunohistochemistry findings supported these results. HO-1 induction plays a protective role in the pathogenesis of the liver dysfunction in hyperthyroidism. This effect is dependent on modulation of the antiapoptotic and antioxidative pathways by HO-1 expression. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Keratocyte apoptosis and corneal antioxidant enzyme activities after refractive corneal surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Bilgihan, K; Bilgihan, A; Adiguzel, U; Sezer, C; Yis, O; Akyol, G; Hasanreisoglu, B

2002-01-01

Refractive corneal surgery induces keratocyte apoptosis and generates reactive oxygen radicals (ROS) in the cornea. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the correlation between keratocyte apoptosis and corneal antioxidant enzyme activities after different refractive surgical procedures in rabbits. Rabbits were divided into six groups. All groups were compared with the control group (Group 1), after epithelial scraping (Group 2), epithelial scrape and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) (traditional PRK: Group 3), transepithelial PRK (Group 4), creation of a corneal flap with microkeratome (Group 5) and laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK, Group 6). Terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick-end labelling assay (to detect DNA fragmentation in situ) and light microscopy were used to detect apoptosis in rabbit eyes. Glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities of the corneal tissues were measured with spectrophotometric methods. Corneal Gpx and SOD activities decreased significantly in all groups when compared with the control group (P<0.05) and groups 2, 3 and 6 showed a significantly higher amount of keratocyte apoptosis (P<0.05). Not only a negative correlation was observed between corneal SOD activity and keratocyte apoptosis (cc: -0.3648) but Gpx activity also showed negative correlation with keratocyte apoptosis (cc: -0.3587). The present study illustrates the negative correlation between keratocyte apoptosis and corneal antioxidant enzyme activities. This finding suggests that ROS may be partly responsible for keratocyte apoptosis after refractive surgery.

Curcumin Protects against UVB-Induced Skin Cancers in SKH-1 Hairless Mouse: Analysis of Early Molecular Markers in Carcinogenesis

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Kuen-Daw Tsai

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Curcumin (CUR has been shown to possess a preventive effect against various cancers and interfere with multiple-cell signaling pathways. We evaluated the protective effects of CUR in regression of UVB-induced skin tumor formation in SKH-1 hairless mice and its underlying early molecular biomarkers associated with carcinogenesis. Mice irradiated with UVB at 180 mJ/cm2 twice per week elicited 100% tumor incidence at 20 weeks. Topical application of CUR prior to UVB irradiation caused delay in tumor appearance, multiplicity, and size. Topical application of CUR prior to and immediately after a single UVB irradiation (180 mJ/cm2 resulted in a significant decrease in UVB-induced thymine dimer-positive cells, expression of proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling, and apoptotic sunburn cells together with an increase in p53 and p21/Cip1-positive cell population in epidermis. Simultaneously, CUR also significantly inhibited NF-κB, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2, and nitric oxide (NO levels. The results suggest that the protective effect of CUR against photocarcinogenesis is accompanied by downregulation of cell proliferative controls, involving thymine dimer, PCNA, apoptosis, transcription factors NF-κB, and of inflammatory responses involving COX-2, PGE2, and NO, while upregulation of p53 and p21/Cip1 to prevent DNA damage and facilitate DNA repair.

Engraftment Site and Effectiveness of the Pan-Caspase Inhibitor F573 to Improve Engraftment in Mouse and Human Islet Transplantation in Mice.

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Pepper, Andrew R; Bruni, Antonio; Pawlick, Rena; Wink, John; Rafiei, Yasmin; Gala-Lopez, Boris; Bral, Mariusz; Abualhassan, Nasser; Kin, Tatsuya; Shapiro, A M James

2017-10-01

Islet transplantation is an effective therapy in type 1 diabetes and recalcitrant hypoglycemia. However, there is an ongoing need to circumvent islet loss posttransplant. We explore herein the potential of the pan-caspase inhibitor F573 to mitigate early apoptosis-mediated islet death within portal and extrahepatic portal sites in mice. Mouse or human islets were cultured in standard media ±100 μM F573 and subsequently assessed for viability and apoptosis via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining and caspase-3 activation. Diabetic mice were transplanted with syngeneic islets placed under the kidney capsule (KC) or into the subcutaneous deviceless (DL) site at a marginal islet dose (150 islets), or into the portal vein (PV) at a full dose (500 islets). Human islets were transplanted under the KC of diabetic immunodeficient mice at a marginal dose (500 islet equivalents). Islets were cultured in the presence of F573, and F573 was administered subcutaneously on days 0 to 5 posttransplant. Control mice were transplanted with nontreated islets and were injected with saline. Graft function was measured by nonfasting blood glucose and glucose tolerance testing. F573 markedly reduced human and mouse islet apoptosis after in vitro culture (P islet function when transplanted under the KC (P islet marginal KC transplants. Conversely, F573 significantly improved mouse islet engraftment in the PV and DL site (P islet apoptosis and improves engraftment most effectively in the portal and DL subcutaneous sites.

Dynamic movement of cytochrome c from mitochondria into cytosol and peripheral circulation in massive hepatic cell injury.

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Kobayashi, Yoshinori; Mori, Masaaki; Naruto, Takuya; Kobayashi, Naoki; Sugai, Toshiyuki; Imagawa, Tomoyuki; Yokota, Shumpei

2004-12-01

In the process of apoptosis, it is known that the transition of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytosol occurs, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha is one of the molecules responsible for this event. But in the state of hypercytokine induced by D-galactosamine (D-GaIN)/Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the localization of cytochrome c is little known. Rats were administrated with D-GaIN(700 mg/kg)/LPS(200 microg/kg). Blood and tissue samples were collected and examined for levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, the apoptosis of liver cells, and the localization of cytochrome c. Before administration of D-GaIN/LPS, cytochrome c was definitely localized in the mitochondria. At 2 h after simultaneous administration of D-GaIN/LPS, cytochrome c had accumulated in the cytosol following abrupt increases of plasma TNF-alpha. Massive cell destruction due to apoptosis proved by Terminal deoxynucleo-tidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining was observed in liver tissue 4 h later and markedly increased levels of cytochrome c were detected in the plasma 12 h after D-GaIN/LPS administration. Liver injury induced by simultaneous administration of D-GaIN/LPS was closely associated with the production of TNF-alpha, and also with the dynamic movement of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytosol, and then into the systemic circulation. The detection of plasma cytochrome c levels may be a useful clinical tool for the detection of apoptosis in vivo.

Effects of Urtica dioica dichloromethane extract on cell apoptosis and related gene expression in human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-468).

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Mohammadi, A; Mansoori, B; Goldar, S; Shanehbandi, D; Khaze, V; Mohammadnejad, L; Baghbani, E; Baradaran, B

2016-02-29

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in worldwide, especially in developing countries. Therefore, a large number of anticancer agents with herbal origins have been reported against this deadly disease. This study is the first to examine the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of Urtica dioica in MDA-MB-468, human breast adenocarcinoma cells. The 3-(4,5-dimethylethiazol-2 yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) reduction and trypan-blue exclusion assay were performed in MDA-MB-468 cells as well as control cell line L929 to analyze the cytotoxic activity of the dichloromethane extract. In addition, Apoptosis induction of Urtica dioica on the MDA-MB-468 cells was assessed using TUNEL (terminal deoxy transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick- end labeling) assay and DNA fragmentation analysis and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results showed that the extract significantly inhibited cell growth and viability without inducing damage to normal control cells. Nuclei Staining in TUNEL and DNA fragments in DNA fragmentation assay and increase in the mRNA expression levels of caspase-3, caspase-9, decrease in the bcl2 and no significant change in the caspase-8 mRNA expression level, showed that the induction of apoptosis was the main mechanism of cell death that induce by Urtica dioica extract. Our results suggest that urtica dioica dichloromethane extract may contain potential bioactive compound(s) for the treatment of breast adenocarcinoma.

Human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 and carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater: expression differences in tumour histotypes

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G. Perrone

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1 is the major means by which gemcitabine enters human cells; recent evidence exists that hENT1 is expressed in carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater and that it should be considered as a molecular prognostic marker for patients with resected ampullary cancer. Aim of the present study is to evaluate the variations of hENT1 expression in ampullary carcinomas and to correlate such variations with histological subtypes and clinicopathological parameters. Forty-one ampullary carcinomas were histologically classified into intestinal, pancreaticobiliary and unusual types. hENT1 and Ki67 expression were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and apoptotic cells were identified by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL method. hENT1 overexpression was detected in 63.4% ampullary carcinomas. A significant difference in terms of hENT1 and Ki67 expression was found between intestinal vs. pancreaticobiliary types (P=0.03 and P=0.009 respectively. Moreover, a significant statistical positive correlation was found between apoptotic and proliferative Index (P=0.036, while no significant correlation was found between hENT1 and apoptosis. Our results on hENT1 expression suggest that classification of ampullary carcinoma by morphological subtypes may represent an additional tool in prospective clinical trials aimed at examining treatment efficacy; in addition, data obtained from Ki67 and TUNEL suggest a key role of hENT1 in tumour growth of ampullary carcinoma.

Minocycline Protects Against NLRP3 Inflammasome-Induced Inflammation and P53-Associated Apoptosis in Early Brain Injury After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

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Li, Jianru; Chen, Jingsen; Mo, Hangbo; Chen, Jingyin; Qian, Cong; Yan, Feng; Gu, Chi; Hu, Qiang; Wang, Lin; Chen, Gao

2016-05-01

Minocycline has beneficial effects in early brain injury (EBI) following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH); however, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects have not been clearly identified. This study was undertaken to determine the influence of minocycline on inflammation and neural apoptosis and the possible mechanisms of these effects in early brain injury following subarachnoid hemorrhage. SAH was induced by the filament perforation model of SAH in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Minocycline or vehicle was given via an intraperitoneal injection 1 h after SAH induction. Minocycline treatment markedly attenuated brain edema secondary to blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which controls the maturation and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, especially interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Minocycline treatment also markedly reduced the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells. To further identify the potential mechanisms, we demonstrated that minocycline increased Bcl2 expression and reduced the protein expression of P53, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3. In addition, minocycline reduced the cortical levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are closely related to both NLRP3 inflammasome and P53 expression. Minocycline protects against NLRP3 inflammasome-induced inflammation and P53-associated apoptosis in early brain injury following SAH. Minocycline's anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effect may involve the reduction of ROS. Minocycline treatment may exhibit important clinical potentials in the management of SAH.

Tamaractam, a New Bioactive Lactam from Tamarix ramosissima, Induces Apoptosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes.

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Yao, Yao; Jiang, Cheng-Shuai; Sun, Na; Li, Wei-Qi; Niu, Yang; Han, Huai-Qin; Miao, Zhen-Hua; Zhao, Xun-Xia; Zhao, Jing; Li, Juan

2017-01-10

Chemical investigation of Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb, a traditional herbal medicine used for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment in northwest China, led to the discovery of a new phenolic aromatic rings substituted lactam, tamaractam ( 1 ), together with the previously reported compounds cis - N -feruloyl-3- O -methyldopamine ( 2 ) and trans - N -feruloyl-3- O -methyldopamine ( 3 ). The structures of the compounds were determined by high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (HRESIMS) and 1D and 2D-NMR experiments, as well as comparison with the literature data. The effects of the three compounds on the viability of RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLS) were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2- H -tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Pro-apoptosis effect of compound 1 in RA-FLS was further investigated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, activated caspase-3/7 level assessment using luminescence assay, and sub-G₁ fraction measurement using flow cytometry. It was found that these three compounds displayed variable proliferation inhibitory activity in RA-FLS, and compound 1 exhibited the strongest effect. Compound 1 could remarkably induce cellular apoptosis of RA-FLS, increase activated caspase-3/7 levels, and significantly increase sub-G₁ fraction in the cell cycle. The results suggested that compound 1 may inhibit the proliferation of RA-FLS through apoptosis-inducing effect, and these compounds may contribute to the anti-RA effect of T. ramosissima .

Tamaractam, a New Bioactive Lactam from Tamarix ramosissima, Induces Apoptosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes

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Yao Yao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Chemical investigation of Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb, a traditional herbal medicine used for rheumatoid arthritis (RA treatment in northwest China, led to the discovery of a new phenolic aromatic rings substituted lactam, tamaractam (1, together with the previously reported compounds cis-N-feruloyl-3-O-methyldopamine (2 and trans-N-feruloyl-3-O-methyldopamine (3. The structures of the compounds were determined by high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (HRESIMS and 1D and 2D-NMR experiments, as well as comparison with the literature data. The effects of the three compounds on the viability of RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLS were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT assay. Pro-apoptosis effect of compound 1 in RA-FLS was further investigated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL assay, activated caspase-3/7 level assessment using luminescence assay, and sub-G1 fraction measurement using flow cytometry. It was found that these three compounds displayed variable proliferation inhibitory activity in RA-FLS, and compound 1 exhibited the strongest effect. Compound 1 could remarkably induce cellular apoptosis of RA-FLS, increase activated caspase-3/7 levels, and significantly increase sub-G1 fraction in the cell cycle. The results suggested that compound 1 may inhibit the proliferation of RA-FLS through apoptosis-inducing effect, and these compounds may contribute to the anti-RA effect of T. ramosissima.

Anti-tumor effect of cisplatin in human oral squamous cell carcinoma was enhanced by andrographolide via upregulation of phospho-p53 in vitro and in vivo.

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Chen, Songjie; Hu, Hui; Miao, Shushu; Zheng, Jiayong; Xie, Zhijian; Zhao, Hui

2017-05-01

Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common neoplasm in the world. Despite the improvements in diagnosis and treatment, the outcome is still poor now. Thus, the development of novel therapeuticapproaches is needed. The aim of this study is to assess the synergistic anti-tumor effect of andrographolide with cisplatin (DDP) in oral squamous cell carcinoma CAL-27 cells in vitro and in vivo. We performed Cell Counting Kit-8 proliferation assay, apoptosis assay, and western blotting on CAL-27 cells treated with andrographolide, DDP or the combination in vitro. In vivo, we also treated CAL-27 xenografts with andrographolide or the combination, and performed terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling assay and immunohistochemical analysis of Ki-67. The results showed the combination of andrographolide and DDP synergistically inhibited CAL-27 cell proliferation in vitro and caused tumor regression in vivo in the CAL-27 xenografts. In addition, the synergistic anti-tumor effect of andrographolide with synergistic was due to an enhanced apoptosis. Moreover, the combination therapy upregulated the expression level of p-p53 in vitro and decreased Ki-67 expression in vivo. Our data indicate that the combination treatment of andrographolide and DDP results in synergistic anti-tumor growth activity against oral squamous cell carcinoma CAL-27 in vitro and in vivo. These results demonstrated that combination of andrographolide with DDP was likely to represent a potential therapeutic strategy for oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Improvement of porcine cloning efficiency by trichostain A through early-stage induction of embryo apoptosis.

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Ji, Qianqian; Zhu, Kongju; Liu, Zhiguo; Song, Zhenwei; Huang, Yuankai; Zhao, Haijing; Chen, Yaosheng; He, Zuyong; Mo, Delin; Cong, Peiqing

2013-03-15

Trichostain A (TSA), an inhibitor of histone deacetylases, improved developmental competence of SCNT embryos in many species, apparently by improved epigenetic reprogramming. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of TSA-induced apoptosis in cloned porcine embryos. At various developmental stages, a comet assay and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling staining were used to detect apoptosis, and real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to assess expression of genes related to apoptosis and pluripotency. In this study, TSA significantly induced apoptosis (in a dose-dependent manner) at the one-, two-, and four-cell stages. However, in blastocyst stage embryos, TSA decreased the apoptotic index (P < 0.05). Expression levels of Caspase 3 were higher in TSA-treated versus control embryos at the two-cell stage (not statistically significant). The expression ratio of antiapoptotic Bcl-xl gene to proapoptotic Bax gene, an indicator of antiapoptotic potential, was higher in TSA-treated groups at the one-, two-, and four-cell and blastocyst stages. Furthermore, expression levels of pluripotency-related genes, namely, Oct4 and Nanog, were elevated at the morula stage (P < 0.05) in TSA treatment groups. We concluded that inducing apoptosis might be a mechanism by which TSA promotes development of reconstructed embryos. At the initial stage of apoptosis induction, abnormal cells were removed, thereby enhancing proliferation of healthy cells and improving embryo quality. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Apoptosis induced by lipid-associated membrane proteins from Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in a porcine lung epithelial cell line with the involvement of caspase 3 and the MAPK pathway.

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Ni, B; Bai, F F; Wei, Y; Liu, M J; Feng, Z X; Xiong, Q Y; Hua, L Z; Shao, G Q

2015-09-25

Lipid-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs) are important in the pathogenicity of the Mycoplasma genus of bacteria. We investigated whether Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae LAMPs have pathogenic potential by inducing apoptosis in a St. Jude porcine lung epithelial cell line (SJPL). LAMPs from a pathogenic strain of M. hyopneumoniae (strain 232) were used in the research. Our investigation made use of diamidino-phenylindole (DAPI) and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining, terminal dexynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) analysis, and Annexin-V-propidium iodide staining. After LAMP treatment for 24 h, typical changes were induced, chromosomes were concentrated, apoptotic bodies were observed, the 3'-OH groups of cleaved genomes were exposed, and the percentage of apoptotic cells reached 36.5 ± 11.66%. Caspase 3 and caspase 8 were activated and cytochrome c (cyt c) was released from the mitochondria into the cytoplasm; poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) was digested into two fragments; p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was phosphorylated; and the expression of pro-apoptosis protein Bax increased while the anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-2 decreased. LAMPs also stimulated SJPL cells to produce nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide. This study demonstrated that LAMPs from M. hyopneumoniae can induce apoptosis in SJPL cells through the activation of caspase 3, caspase 8, cyt c, Bax, and p38 MAPK, thereby contributing to our understanding of the pathogenesis of M. hyopneumoniae, which should improve the treatment of M. hyopneumoniae infections.

Effects of fasting and refeeding on intestinal cell proliferation and apoptosis in hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini

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Hideya Takahashi

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Objective: To examine the effects of fasting and refeeding on intestinal cell proliferation and apoptosis in an opportunistic predator, hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini of elasmobranch fishes which are among the earliest known extant groups of vertebrates to have the valvular intestine typical for the primitive species. Methods: Animals were euthanized after 5-10 d of fasting or feeding, or after 10-day fasting and 5-day refeeding. Intestinal apoptosis and cell proliferation were assessed by using oligonucleotide detection assay, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining, and immunohistochemistry of proliferating cells nuclear antigen. Results: Plasma levels of cholesterol and glucose were reduced by fasting. Intestinal apoptosis generally decreased during fasting. Numerous apoptotic cells were observed around the tips of the villi, primarily in the epithelium in the fed sharks, whereas fewer labeled nuclei were detected in the epithelium of fasted sharks. Refeeding returned intestinal apoptosis to the level in the fed sharks. Proliferating cells were observed in the epithelium around the troughs of the villi and greater in number in fed sharks, whereas fewer labeled nuclei were detected in fasted sharks. Conclusions: The cell turnover is modified in both intestinal epithelia of the shark and the murines by fasting/feeding, but in opposite directions. The difference may reflect the feeding ecology of the elasmobranchs, primitive intermittent feeders.

Fisetin alleviates early brain injury following experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats possibly by suppressing TLR 4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

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Zhou, Chen-hui; Wang, Chun-xi; Xie, Guang-bin; Wu, Ling-yun; Wei, Yong-xiang; Wang, Qiang; Zhang, Hua-sheng; Hang, Chun-hua; Zhou, Meng-liang; Shi, Ji-xin

2015-12-10

Early brain injury (EBI) determines the unfavorable outcomes after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Fisetin, a natural flavonoid, has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotection properties in several brain injury models, but the role of fisetin on EBI following SAH remains unknown. Our study aimed to explore the effects of fisetin on EBI after SAH in rats. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the sham and SAH groups, fisetin (25mg/kg or 50mg/kg) or equal volume of vehicle was given at 30min after SAH. Neurological scores and brain edema were assayed. The protein expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR 4), p65, ZO-1 and bcl-2 was examined by Western blot. TLR 4 and p65 were also assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated uridine 5'-triphosphate-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) was perform to assess neural cell apoptosis. High-dose (50mg/kg) fisetin significantly improved neurological function and reduced brain edema at both 24h and 72h after SAH. Remarkable reductions of TLR 4 expression and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) translocation to nucleus were detected after fisetin treatment. In addition, fisetin significantly reduced the productions of pro-inflammatory cytokines, decreased neural cell apoptosis and increased the protein expression of ZO-1 and bcl-2. Our data provides the evidence for the first time that fisetin plays a protective role in EBI following SAH possibly by suppressing TLR 4/NF-κB mediated inflammatory pathway. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Increased Dickkopf-1 expression accelerates bone cell apoptosis in femoral head osteonecrosis.

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Ko, Jih-Yang; Wang, Feng-Sheng; Wang, Ching-Jen; Wong, To; Chou, Wen-Yi; Tseng, Shin-Ling

2010-03-01

Intensive bone cell apoptosis contributes to osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH). Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) reportedly mediates various types of skeletal disorders. This study investigated whether DKK1 was linked to the occurrence of ONFH. Thirty-nine patients with various stages of ONFH were recruited. Bone specimens were harvested from 34 ONFH patients underwent hip arthroplasty, and from 10 femoral neck fracture patients. Bad, Bcl2 TNFalpha, DKK1, Wnt3a, LRP5, and Axin1 expressions were analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR and ELISA. Apoptotic cells were assayed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end-labelling (TUNEL). Primary bone-marrow mesenchymal cells were treated with DKK1 RNA interference and recombinant DKK1 protein. ONFH patients with the histories of being administrated corticosteroids and excessive alcohol consumption had significantly higher Bad and DKK1 mRNA expressions in bone tissue and DKK1 abundances in serum than femoral neck fracture patients. Bone cells adjacent to osteonecrotic bone displayed strong DKK1 immunoreactivity and TUNEL staining. Increased DKK1 expression in bone tissue and serum correlated with Bad expression and TUNEL staining. Serum DKK1 abundance correlated with the severity of ONFH. The DKK1 RNA interference and recombinant DKK1 protein regulated Bad expression and apoptosis of primary bone-marrow mesenchymal cells. Knock down of DKK1 reduced dexamethasone-induced apoptosis of mesenchymal cells. Taken together, promoted DKK1 expression was associated with bone cell apoptosis in the occurrence of ONFH patients with the histories of corticosteroid and alcohol intake and progression of ONFH. DKK1 expression in injured tissue provides new insight into ONFH pathogenesis.

Dopamine-induced programmed cell death is associated with cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation in snail salivary gland cells.

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Pirger, Zsolt; Rácz, Boglárka; Kiss, Tibor

2009-02-01

PCD (programmed cell death) is a common mechanism to remove unwanted and excessive cells from organisms. In several exocrine cell types, PCD mode of release of secretory products has been reported. The molecular mechanism of the release, however, is largely unknown. Our aim was to study the molecular mechanism of saliva release from cystic cells, the specific cell type of snail SGs (salivary glands). SG cells in active feeding animals revealed multiple morphological changes characteristic of PCD. Nerve stimulation and DA (dopamine) increased the number of TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling)-positive cells both in inactive and feeding animals. The DA-induced PCD was prevented by TEA (tetraethylammonium chloride) and eticlopride, emphasizing the role of K channels and D2 receptors in the PCD of cystic cells. DA enhanced cyto-c (cytochrome c) translocation into the cytosol and methyl-beta-cyclodextrin prevented it, suggesting apoptosome formation and ceramide involvement in the PCD linking of the surface DA receptor to mitochondria. Western blot analysis revealed that the release of cyto-c was under the control of Bcl-2 and Bad. DA also increased the active caspase-3 in gland cells while D2 receptor antagonists and TEA attenuated it. Our results provide evidence for a type of transmitter-mediated pathway that regulates the PCD of secretory cells in a mitochondrial-caspase-dependent manner. The activation of specific molecules, such as K channels, DA receptors, cyto-c, ceramide, Bcl-2 proteins and caspase-3, but not caspase-8, was demonstrated in cells involved in the DA-induced PCD, suggesting that PCD is a physiological method for the release of saliva from SG cells.

Ochratoxin A Inhibits Mouse Embryonic Development by Activating a Mitochondrion-Dependent Apoptotic Signaling Pathway

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Yan-Der Hsuuw

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Ochratoxin A (OTA, a mycotoxin found in many foods worldwide, causes nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and immunotoxicity, both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we explored the cytotoxic effects exerted by OTA on the blastocyst stage of mouse embryos, on subsequent embryonic attachment, on outgrowth in vitro, and following in vivo implantation via embryo transfer. Mouse blastocysts were incubated with or without OTA (1, 5, or 10 μM for 24 h. Cell proliferation and growth were investigated using dual differential staining; apoptosis was measured using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL assay; and embryo implantation and post-implantation development were assessed by examination of in vitro growth and the outcome of in vivo embryo transfer, respectively. Blastocysts treated with 10 μM OTA displayed a significantly increased level of apoptosis and a reduction in total cell number. Interestingly, we observed no marked difference in implantation success rate between OTA-pretreated and control blastocysts either during in vitro embryonic development (following implantation in a fibronectin-coated culture dish or after in vivo embryo transfer. However, in vitro treatment with 10 μM OTA was associated with increased resorption of post-implantation embryos by the mouse uterus, and decreased fetal weight upon embryo transfer. Our results collectively indicate that in vitro exposure to OTA triggers apoptosis and retards early post-implantation development after transfer of embryos to host mice. In addition, OTA induces apoptosis-mediated injury of mouse blastocysts, via reactive oxygen species (ROS generation, and promotes mitochondrion-dependent apoptotic signaling processes that impair subsequent embryonic development.

Extensive immune-mediated hippocampal damage in mice surviving infection with neuroadapted Sindbis virus

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Kimura, Takashi; Griffin, Diane E.

2003-01-01

Viral infections of the central nervous system and immune responses to these infections cause a variety of neurological diseases. Infection of weanling mice with Sindbis virus causes acute nonfatal encephalomyelitis followed by clearance of infectious virus, but persistence of viral RNA. Infection with a neuroadapted strain of Sindbis virus (NSV) causes fatal encephalomyelitis, but passive transfer of immune serum after infection protects from fatal disease and infectious virus is cleared. To determine whether persistent NSV RNA is associated with neurological damage, we examined the brains of recovered mice and found progressive loss of the hippocampal gyrus, adjacent white matter, and deep cerebral cortex associated with mononuclear cell infiltration. Mice deficient in CD4 + T cells showed less tissue loss, while mice lacking CD8 + T cells showed lesions comparable to those in immunocompetent mice. Mice deficient in both CD4 + and CD8 + T cells developed severe tissue loss similar to immunocompetent mice and this was associated with extensive infiltration of macrophages. The number of CD4 + cells and macrophage/microglial cells, but not CD8 + cells, infiltrating the hippocampal gyrus was correlated with the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling positive pyramidal neurons. These results suggest that CD4 + T cells can promote progressive neuronal death and tissue injury, despite clearance of infectious virus

Isoflurane produces sustained cardiac protection after ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice.

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Tsutsumi, Yasuo M; Patel, Hemal H; Lai, N Chin; Takahashi, Toshiyuki; Head, Brian P; Roth, David M

2006-03-01

Isoflurane reduces myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury within hours to days of reperfusion. Whether isoflurane produces sustained cardiac protection has never been examined. The authors studied isoflurane-induced cardiac protection in the intact mouse after 2 h and 2 weeks of reperfusion and determined the dependence of this protection on adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium channels and the relevance of this protection to myocardial function and apoptosis. Mice were randomly assigned to receive oxygen or isoflurane for 30 min with 15 min of washout. Some mice received mitochondrial (5-hydroxydecanoic acid) or sarcolemmal (HMR-1098) adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium channel blockers with or without isoflurane. Mice were then subjected to a 30-min coronary artery occlusion followed by 2 h or 2 weeks of reperfusion. Infarct size was determined at 2 h and 2 weeks of reperfusion. Cardiac function and apoptosis were determined 2 weeks after reperfusion. Isoflurane did not change hemodynamics. Isoflurane reduced infarct size after reperfusion when compared with the control groups (27.7 +/- 6.3 vs. 41.7 +/- 6.4% at 2 h and 19.6 +/- 5.9 vs. 28.8 +/- 9.0% at 2 weeks). Previous administration of 5-hydroxydecanoic acid, but not HMR-1098, abolished isoflurane-induced cardiac protection. At 2 weeks, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was decreased significantly and end-systolic pressure and maximum and minimum dP/dt were improved by isoflurane. Isoflurane-treated mice subjected to ischemia and 2 weeks of reperfusion showed less expression of proapoptotic genes, significantly decreased expression of cleaved caspase-3, and significantly decreased deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling-positive nuclei compared with the control group. Cardiac protection induced by isoflurane against necrotic and apoptotic cell death is associated with an acute memory period that is sustained and functionally relevant 2 weeks after

Investigation of the relationship between venticular fibrillation duration and cardiac/neurological damage in a rabbit model of electrically induced arrhythmia.

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Hu, Chun-Lin; Wei, Hong-Yan; Liu, Zi-You; Li, Xing; Liao, Xiao-Xing; Li, Yu-Jie; Zhan, Hong; Jing, Xiao-Li; Xiong, Yan; Liu, Yan-Yan; Wu, Gui-Fu

2010-12-01

To establish a simple, economic, and reliable alternating current (AC)-induced cardiac arrest (ACCA) model in rabbits for cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation research. Ventricular fibrillation was induced in 27 New Zealand rabbits by external transthoracic AC, which were randomly divided into three groups according to the duration of untreated ACCA (ACCA-3 minutes, ACCA-5 minutes, and ACCA-8 minutes). After ACCA, all animals received cardiopulmonary resuscitation for 2 minutes and subsequent defibrillation until return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). The troponin I levels were measured at 4 hours after ROSC. Animals died spontaneously or were killed at 72 hours after ROSC. The hippocampus were removed and fixed in 3% formalin. TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling and Nissl stainings were performed in 10-μm thickness coronal sections. Furthermore, two rabbits (without induction of ventricular fibrillation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and defibrillation) served as normal control group. Mean survival times after ROSC were 48.57 hours ± 24.70 hours, 18.0 hours ± 15.13 hours, and 3.88 hours ± 2.39 hours for groups ACCA-3 minutes, ACCA-5 minutes, and ACCA-8 minutes, respectively. Survival was significantly different between ACCA-3 minutes and other two groups (p = 0.002 and p = 0.01). Neuronal necrosis and apoptosis were found in the hippocampus CA1, CA2, and CA3 areas of group ACCA-3 minutes. In contrast, neuronal necrosis and TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling positive cells were fewer in control animals. The rabbits in group ACCA-3 minutes had significant neuronal damage with apoptosis in hippocampus CA1, CA2, and CA3 areas at 72 hours after ROSC and survived longer than those in other groups. The model we describe may be a simple, economic, and reliable model for experimental investigation on cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation.

Controlled and selective placement of boron subphthalocyanines on either chain end of polymers synthesized by nitroxide mediated polymerization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benoît H. Lessard

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In previous studies, we synthesized the first organic light emitting diode (OLED using boron subphthalocyanines (BsubPcs based polymers. When designing new polymer materials for organic electronic applications such as OLEDs or organic photovoltaic (OPV devices it is important to consider not only the contribution of each monomer but also the polymer chain ends. In this paper we establish a post-polymerization strategy to couple BsubPcs onto either the α- or the ω-chain end using chemically selective BsubPc derivatives. We outline how the chain ends of two representative polymers, poly(styrene (PS and poly(n-butylacrylate (BA, synthesized by nitroxide mediated polymerization (NMP, using BlocBuilder-MA as the initiating species, can be chemically modified by the incorporation of BsubPc chromophores. The addition of the BsubPc chromophore was confirmed through the use of a photodiode array detector (PDA connected in-line with a gel permeation chromatography (GPC setup. These findings represent the first reported method for the controlled and selective placement of a BsubPc chromophores on either end of a polymer produced by NMP. This strategy will therefore be utilized to make next generation BsubPc polymers for OLEDs and OPV devices. The extremely high molar extinction coefficient of BsubPc also make these polymers ideally suited for dye-labelling of polymers.

Acrolein-detoxifying isozymes of glutathione transferase in plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Mano, Jun'ichi; Ishibashi, Asami; Muneuchi, Hitoshi; Morita, Chihiro; Sakai, Hiroki; Biswas, Md Sanaullah; Koeduka, Takao; Kitajima, Sakihito

2017-02-01

Acrolein is a lipid-derived highly reactive aldehyde, mediating oxidative signal and damage in plants. We found acrolein-scavenging glutathione transferase activity in plants and purified a low K M isozyme from spinach. Various environmental stressors on plants cause the generation of acrolein, a highly toxic aldehyde produced from lipid peroxides, via the promotion of the formation of reactive oxygen species, which oxidize membrane lipids. In mammals, acrolein is scavenged by glutathione transferase (GST; EC 2.5.1.18) isozymes of Alpha, Pi, and Mu classes, but plants lack these GST classes. We detected the acrolein-scavenging GST activity in four species of plants, and purified an isozyme showing this activity from spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves. The isozyme (GST-Acr), obtained after an affinity chromatography and two ion exchange chromatography steps, showed the K M value for acrolein 93 μM, the smallest value known for acrolein-detoxifying enzymes in plants. Peptide sequence homology search revealed that GST-Acr belongs to the GST Tau, a plant-specific class. The Arabidopsis thaliana GST Tau19, which has the closest sequence similar to spinach GST-Acr, also showed a high catalytic efficiency for acrolein. These results suggest that GST plays as a scavenger for acrolein in plants.

Dysregulated IER3 Expression is Associated with Enhanced Apoptosis in Titin-Based Dilated Cardiomyopathy

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Qifeng Zhou

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Apoptosis (type I programmed cell death of cardiomyocytes is a major process that plays a role in the progression of heart failure. The early response gene IER3 regulates apoptosis in a wide variety of cells and organs. However, its role in heart failure is largely unknown. Here, we investigate the role of IER3 in an inducible heart failure mouse model. Heart failure was induced in a mouse model that imitates a human titin truncation mutation we found in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM. Transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL and ssDNA stainings showed induction of apoptosis in titin-deficient cardiomyocytes during heart failure development, while IER3 response was dysregulated. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and knock-down experiments revealed that IER3 proteins target the promotors of anti-apoptotic genes and act as an anti-apoptotic factor in cardiomyocytes. Its expression is blunted during heart failure development in a titin-deficient mouse model. Targeting the IER3 pathway to reduce cardiac apoptosis might be an effective therapeutic strategy to combat heart failure.

The Root Extract of Gentiana macrophylla Pall. Alleviates Cardiac Apoptosis in Lupus Prone Mice.

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Chih-Yang Huang

Full Text Available The roots of the perennial herb Gentiana macrophylla Pall. (GM are known as Qinjiao, which has been used for centuries to treat systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE. However, little is known about the effects of GM on cholesterol-aggravated cardiac abnormalities in SLE, and the mechanisms thereof. This study investigates whether GM exhibits anti-apoptotic effects, focusing on the left ventricle (LV of NZB/W F1 mice fed with high-cholesterol diet. The morphology and apoptotic status of ventricular tissues were determined by microscopy and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL assay. Levels of apoptotic biomarkers were determined by immunoblotting. The results thus obtained revealed that GM significantly reduced the cholesterol-aggravated apoptosis of LV in NZB/W F1 mice by suppressing both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. Additionally, GM significantly increased the cardiac insulin-like growth factors (IGF-1 survival signaling and anti-apoptotic proteins in LV tissues. Accordingly, GM is considered to be beneficial in alleviating cholesterol-aggravated cardiac damage in SLE, and therefore constitute an alternative treatment for SLE patients with cardiac abnormalities.

Protective effect of Urtica dioica on liver damage induced by biliary obstruction in rats.

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Oguz, Serhat; Kanter, Mehmet; Erboga, Mustafa; Ibis, Cem

2013-10-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible protective effects of Urtica dioica (UD) against liver damage in the common bile duct-ligated rats. A total of 24 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups, namely, control, bile duct ligation (BDL) and BDL + received UD groups, containing eight animals in each group. The rats in UD-treated groups were given UD oils (2 ml/kg) once a day intraperitoneally for 2 weeks starting 3 days prior to BDL operation. The change demonstrating the bile duct proliferation and fibrosis in expanded portal tracts includes the extension of proliferated bile ducts into the lobules; inflammatory cell infiltration into the widened portal areas were observed in BDL group. Treatment of BDL with UD attenuated alterations in liver histology. The α-smooth muscle actin, cytokeratin-positive ductular proliferation and the activity of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling in the BDL were observed to be reduced with the UD treatment. The data indicate that UD attenuates BDL-induced cholestatic liver injury, bile duct proliferation and fibrosis.

Peran Kedelai (Glycine max L. dalam Pencegahan Apoptosis pada Cedera Jaringan Hati

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Maya Tejasari

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstrak Pada liver injury akibat berbagai sebab, terjadi apoptosis sel yang sangat banyak yang dapat memengaruhi fungsi metabolik hati.  Isoflavon kedelai telah diketahui dapat mencegah apoptosis sel pada folikel ovarium dan osteoblas. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh kedelai pada pencegahan apoptosis sel pada jaringan hati mencit yang diinduksi CCl4.  Penelitian dilakukan menggunakan 30 ekor mencit jantan galur DDY berumur 8─10 minggu yang dibagi dalam 6 kelompok perlakuan.  Kelompok 1 merupakan kontrol positif yang hanya diberi makanan pelet standar selama 3 minggu kemudian diberi 0,2 mL larutan CCl4 per oral selama 4 hari. Kelompok 2 merupakan kontrol negatif yang hanya diberi makanan pelet standar dan tidak diberi CCl4, sedangkan kelompok 3─6 merupakan kelompok uji yang selain diberi makanan pelet standar juga diberi kedelai dengan kadar berturut-turut 145,6 mg/hari, 218,4 mg/hari, 291,2 mg/hari dan 364 mg/hari selama 3 minggu kemudian diberi 0,2 mL larutan CCl4 peroral selama 4 hari.  Seluruh kelompok kemudian dikorbankan dan diambil organ hatinya untuk dilakukan pemeriksaan histokimia terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP Nick end labeling (TUNEL.  Parameter yang diukur adalah jumlah apoptosis sel pada sayatan jaringan hati mencit menggunakan mikroskop cahaya.  Data disajikan dan dianalisis secara statistik menggunakan uji analysis of varians (ANOVA untuk menganalisis perbedaan antar kelompok. Hasil penelitian memperlihatkan bahwa dari hasil pemeriksaan imunohistokimia TUNEL tampak jumlah sel yang mengalami apoptosis pada kelompok yang diberi kedelai lebih sedikit dibandingkan dengan kelompok yang tidak diberi kedelai. Analisis uji ANOVA antara kelompok tersebut menunjukan perbedaaan yang signifikan dengan nilai p<0,05. Simpulan, bahwa pemberian kedelai dapat mencegah apoptosis sel pada jaringan hati mencit yang diinduksi CCl4. Kata kunci: Apoptosis, CCl4, isoflavon, kedelai, liver injury, TUNEL �

Effect of ionizing radiation on apoptosis in mouse Peyer's patches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Jiamei; Chen Dong; Liu Shuzheng

1999-01-01

The relationship of time-effect and dose-effect of apoptosis in mouse Peyer's patches after whole body irradiation (WBI) with different doses of X-rays was studied by the method of TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL). The results showed that the number of TUNEL positive cells in mouse Peyer's patches were significantly increased following WBI with 2 Gy irradiation, While the number of TUNEL positive cells were decreased after WBI with doses of 0.05 Gy and 0.075 Gy X-rays. the results support the view that 2 Gy irradiation promote the apoptosis of immune cells and the low doses of radiation suppress the apoptosis of immune cells

Behavioral and anatomical correlates of chronic episodic hypoxia during sleep in the rat.

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Gozal, D; Daniel, J M; Dohanich, G P

2001-04-01

The role played by chronic episodic hypoxia (EHYP) in the neurocognitive morbidity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is unknown. Sleep recordings, Morris water maze experiments, and immunohistochemistry for NMDA NR1 glutamate receptor, c-fos protein, and apoptosis [nuclear immunoreactivity for single-stranded DNA and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated UTP nick end labeling assay] were conducted in EHYP-exposed Sprague Dawley male rats. Exposures consisted of up to14 d in an environmental chamber in which O(2) concentrations were cycled between 10 and 21% every 90 sec or 30 min during 12 hr of daylight. For the remaining 12 hr, EHYP rats breathed room air, while controls spent 14 d in room air. Although EHYP induced significant disruption of sleep architecture during the initial day of exposure, sleep patterns normalized thereafter. Marked increases in apoptosis occurred in the CA1 hippocampal region (sevenfold) and cortex (Cx; eightfold) after 1-2 d of EHYP but not in CA3 and were followed by decreases toward normoxic levels by 14 d. Double labeling for NMDA NR1 and c-fos revealed marked architectural disorganization in CA1 and Cx with increases in c-fos over time. Rats exposed to EHYP displayed significantly longer escape latencies and swim path lengths to escape a hidden platform during 12 training trials given over 2 d. Differences in the performances of EHYP and control rats, although reduced, persisted after 14 d of recovery. We conclude that EHYP is associated with marked cellular changes over time within neural regions associated with cognitive functions. Furthermore, EHYP impaired performance during acquisition of a cognitive spatial task without affecting sensorimotor function. Such changes may underlie components of the learning and memory impairments found in OSA.

A randomized, placebo-controlled, preoperative trial of allopurinol in subjects with colorectal adenoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Puntoni, Matteo; Branchi, Daniela; Argusti, Alessandra; Zanardi, Silvia; Crosta, Cristiano; Meroni, Emanuele; Munizzi, Francesco; Michetti, Paolo; Coccia, Gianni; De Roberto, Giuseppe; Bandelloni, Roberto; Turbino, Laura; Minetti, Egle; Mori, Marco; Salvi, Sandra; Boccardo, Simona; Gatteschi, Beatrice; Benelli, Roberto; Sonzogni, Angelica; DeCensi, Andrea

2013-02-01

Inflammation and oxidative stress play a crucial role in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC) and interference with these mechanisms represents a strategy in CRC chemoprevention. Allopurinol, a safe molecular scavenger largely used as antigout agent, has been shown to increase survival of patients with advanced CRC and to reduce CRC incidence in long-term gout users in epidemiologic studies. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled preoperative trial in subjects with colorectal adenomatous polyps to assess the activity of allopurinol on biomarkers of colorectal carcinogenesis. After complete colonoscopy and biopsy of the index polyp, 73 subjects with colorectal adenomas were assigned to either placebo or one of two doses of allopurinol (100 mg or 300 mg) and treated for four weeks before polyp removal. Change of Ki-67 labeling index in adenomatous tissue was the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints were the immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of NF-κB, β-catenin, topoisomerase-II-α, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) in adenomatous polyps and normal adjacent colonic tissue. Compared with placebo, Ki-67 levels were not significantly modulated by allopurinol, whereas β-catenin and NF-κB expression levels decreased significantly in adenomatous tissue, with a mean change from baseline of -10.6%, 95% confidence interval (CI), -20.5 to -0.7, and -8.1%, 95% CI, -22.7 to 6.5, respectively. NF-κB also decreased significantly in normal adjacent tissue (-16.4%; 95% CI, -29.0 to -3.8). No dose-response relationship was noted, except for NF-κB expression in normal tissue. Allopurinol can inhibit biomarkers of oxidative activation in colon adenomatous polyps and normal adjacent tissue. Further studies should define its potential chemopreventive activity.

Stage and season effects on cell cycle and apoptotic activities of germ cells and Sertoli cells during spermatogenesis in the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias).

Science.gov (United States)

McClusky, L M

2005-01-01

To understand the processes involved in the spatial and temporal maturation of testicular cells in Squalus acanthias, we used standard morphometry, proliferating-cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labelling (TUNEL) immunohistochemistry. Except for immature spermatocysts (germinal zone, GZ; early-stage pre-meiotic, E-PrM), the number of cysts in all subsequent stages and the total number of cysts in the spermatogenic progression varied seasonally. The spermatogenic cycle spans about 2 years and is interrupted by germcell clone deletion via apoptosis at the mitosis-meiosis transition in April/May, manifesting as a zone of degeneration (ZD). Rate of displacement of the ZD across the testis diameter indicates that late-stage premeiotic (L-PrM) generations 12-13 require 9-10 months to reach the mature-spermatid stage. Also, the number of cysts completing spermatogenesis is approximately 4-5-fold less than the number that entered spermatogenesis proper 2 years earlier. Pronounced gonocytogenesis in the germinal ridge was coincident with ZD formation in April/May, but it was absent in the fall when mature spermatogonial and meiotic activities had resumed. Whereas strong Sertoli cell PCNA immunoreactivity dominated the GZ cyst cell-cycle activities throughout the year, except during the spring/summer months, the spermatogonial- and Sertoli-cell PCNA indices in E-PrM cysts were inversely related. PCNA immunoreactivity in spermatocytes was seasonal and dependent on the stage of meiosis. TUNEL labelling was limited to spermatogonia and increased stage-dependently in the PrM region (L-PrM = mid-stage PrM >E-PrM >GZ), correlating with ZD formation, in a season-dependent manner. Results imply that effects of normal regulatory factors in Squalus are stage- and process-specific.

The neuroprotective role and mechanisms of TERT in neurons with oxygen-glucose deprivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, J; Qu, Y; Chen, D; Zhang, L; Zhao, F; Luo, L; Pan, L; Hua, J; Mu, D

2013-11-12

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is reported to protect neurons from apoptosis induced by various stresses including hypoxia-ischemia (HI). However, the mechanisms by which TERT exerts its anti-apoptotic role in neurons with HI injury remain unclear. In this study, we examined the protective role and explored the possible mechanisms of TERT in neurons with HI injury in vitro. Primary cultured neurons were exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) for 3h followed by reperfusion to mimic HI injury in vivo. Plasmids containing TERT antisense, sense nucleotides, or mock were transduced into neurons at 48h before OGD. Expression and distribution of TERT were measured by immunofluorescence labeling and western blot. The expression of cleaved caspase 3 (CC3), Bcl-2 and Bax were detected by western blot. Neuronal apoptosis was measured with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL). The mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by MitoSOX Red staining. Fluorescent probe JC-1 was used to measure the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). We found that TERT expression increased at 8h and peaked at 24h in neurons after OGD. CC3 expression and neuronal apoptosis were induced and peaked at 24h after OGD. TERT inhibition significantly increased CC3 expression and neuronal apoptosis after OGD treatment. Additionally, TERT inhibition decreased the expression ratio of Bcl-2/Bax, and enhanced ROS production and ΔΨm dissipation after OGD. These data suggest that TERT plays a neuroprotective role via anti-apoptosis in neurons after OGD. The underlying mechanisms may be associated with regulating Bcl-2/Bax expression ratio, attenuating ROS generation, and increasing mitochondrial membrane potential. Copyright © 2013 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nick Ransford: 'There is a job to do so let's get on with it'.

Science.gov (United States)

Ransford, Nick; Doherty, Ruth

2014-03-01

Nick Ransford is a consultant in special care dentistry at Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust. He has over 25 years' experience working with adults with disabilities and medical conditions across the spectrum.

Attention mediates the effect of nutrition label information on consumers’ choice. Evidence from a choice experiment involving eye-tracking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bialkova, Svetlana; Bialkova, Svetlana; Grunert, Klaus G.; Juhl, Hans Jørn; Wasowicz-Kirylo, Grazyna; Stysko-Kunkowska, Malgorzata; van Trijp, Hans C.M.

2014-01-01

In two eye-tracking studies, we explored whether and how attention to nutrition information mediates consumers’ choice. Consumers had to select either the healthiest option or a product of their preference within an assortment. On each product a particular label (Choices logo, monochrome GDA label,

Attention mediates the effect of nutrition label information on consumers' choice. Evidence from a choice experiment involving eye-tracking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bialkova, S.; Grunert, K.G.; Juhl, H.J.; Wasowicz-Kirylo, G.; Stysko-Kunkowska, M.; Trijp, van J.C.M.

2014-01-01

In two eye-tracking studies, we explored whether and how attention to nutrition information mediates consumers' choice. Consumers had to select either the healthiest option or a product of their preference within an assortment. On each product a particular label (Choices logo, monochrome GDA label,

UDP-[14C]glucose-labelable polypeptides from pea: Possible components of glucan synthase I activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ray, P.M.; Dhugga, K.S.; Gallaghar, S.R.

1989-01-01

A membrane-bound polypeptide doublet of about 40 kD can be rapidly labeled with UDP-[ 14 C]glucose under the assay conditions for glucan synthase I (GS-I). Label seems covalently bound, and chases when unlabeled UDPG is added; it might represent a covalent intermediate in polysaccharide synthesis. Labeling and GS-I activity show several common features: they co-sediment with Golgi membranes in sucrose gradients; they depend similarly on Mg 2+ or Mn 2+ (not Ca 2+ ); they decrease dramatically from stem apex to base, and are higher in epidermis than internal tissue; they show similar sensitivities to several inhibitors. But the doublet still labels after polysaccharide-synthesizing activity has been destroyed by Triton X-100. The doublet polypeptides might be glucosyl tranferases whose ability to transfer glucose units to a glucan chain is detergent-sensitive, but to accept glucose from UDPG is not; or they might be detergent-insensitive primary glucose acceptors, from which a distinct, detergent-sensitive transferase(s) move(s) these units to glucan chains

Washing-free heterogeneous immunosensor using proximity-dependent electron mediation between an enzyme label and an electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Gorachand; Kim, Sinyoung; Park, Seonhwa; Yang, Haesik

2014-05-06

Washing processes, essential in most heterogeneous labeled assays, have been a big hurdle in simplifying the detection procedure and reducing assay time. Nevertheless, less attention has been paid to washing-free heterogeneous labeled assays. We report a purely washing-free immunosensor that allows fast, sensitive, and single-step detection of prostate-specific antigen in serum with low interference. Proximity-dependent electron mediation of ferrocenemethanol (Fc) between an indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrode and a glucose-oxidase (GOx) label allows us to discriminate between a bound and an unbound label: a bound label offers faster electron mediation than an unbound one. The electrooxidation of Fc at a low applied potential (0.13 V vs Ag/AgCl) and a low electrocatalytic ITO electrode and the oxidation of l-ascorbic acid by l-ascorbate oxidase minimize the effect of the interfering species. With a high concentration of glucose (200 mM), the signal and background levels are hardly dependent on the glucose-concentration variation in the sample. The washing-free immunosensor can detect a concentration of ca. 1 pg/mL for mouse IgG in phosphate-buffered saline and a concentration of ca. 10 pg/mL for prostate-specific antigen spiked in female serum after an incubation period of 10 min. The concentrations measured with actual clinical serum samples are in good agreement with the concentrations measured with a commercial instrument, which renders the washing-free heterogeneous immunosensor appealing for practical use.

The Ku80 carboxy terminus stimulates joining and artemis-mediated processing of DNA ends

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weterings, Eric; Verkaik, Nicole S; Keijzers, Guido

2008-01-01

Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is predominantly mediated by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) in mammalian cells. NHEJ requires binding of the Ku70-Ku80 heterodimer (Ku70/80) to the DNA ends and subsequent recruitment of the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PK(CS)) an......Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is predominantly mediated by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) in mammalian cells. NHEJ requires binding of the Ku70-Ku80 heterodimer (Ku70/80) to the DNA ends and subsequent recruitment of the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA......-PK(CS)) and the XRCC4/ligase IV complex. Activation of the DNA-PK(CS) serine/threonine kinase requires an interaction with Ku70/80 and is essential for NHEJ-mediated DSB repair. In contrast to previous models, we found that the carboxy terminus of Ku80 is not absolutely required for the recruitment and activation...... was phosphorylated to normal levels. This resulted in severely reduced levels of Artemis nuclease activity in vivo and in vitro. We therefore conclude that the Ku80 carboxy terminus is important to support DNA-PK(CS) autophosphorylation at specific sites, which facilitates DNA end processing by the Artemis...

The pleuromutilin drugs tiamulin and valnemulin bind to the RNA at the peptidyl transferase centre on the ribosome.

Science.gov (United States)

Poulsen, S M; Karlsson, M; Johansson, L B; Vester, B

2001-09-01

The pleuromutilin antibiotic derivatives, tiamulin and valnemulin, inhibit protein synthesis by binding to the 50S ribosomal subunit of bacteria. The action and binding site of tiamulin and valnemulin was further characterized on Escherichia coli ribosomes. It was revealed that these drugs are strong inhibitors of peptidyl transferase and interact with domain V of 23S RNA, giving clear chemical footprints at nucleotides A2058-9, U2506 and U2584-5. Most of these nucleotides are highly conserved phylogenetically and functionally important, and all of them are at or near the peptidyl transferase centre and have been associated with binding of several antibiotics. Competitive footprinting shows that tiamulin and valnemulin can bind concurrently with the macrolide erythromycin but compete with the macrolide carbomycin, which is a peptidyl transferase inhibitor. We infer from these and previous results that tiamulin and valnemulin interact with the rRNA in the peptidyl transferase slot on the ribosomes in which they prevent the correct positioning of the CCA-ends of tRNAs for peptide transfer.

SIKLODEKSTRIN GLIKOSIL TRANSFERASE DAN PEMANFAATANNYA DALAM INDUSTRI [Cyclodextrin Glycosyl Transferase and its application in industries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Budiasih Wahyuntari

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Cyclodextrin glycosyl transferase (CGT-ase is mainly produced by Bacilli. Systematical name of the enzyme is E.C. 2.4.1.19 a-1,4 glucan-4-glycosyl transferase. The enzyme catalyzes hydrolysis of starch intramolecular, and intermolecular transglycosylation of a-1,4, glucan chains. Cyclodextrins are a-1,4 linked cyclic oligosaccharides resulting from enzymatic degradation of starch by cyclodextrin glycosyl transferase through untramolecular transglycosylation. The major cyclodextrins are made up of 6, 7 and 8 glucopyranose units which are known as a-, b-, and y-cyclodextrin. All CGT-ase catalyze three kinds of cyclodextrins, the proportion of the cyclodextrins depends on the enzyme source and reaction conditions. The intermolecular transglycosylation ability of the enzyme has been applied in transfering glycosyl residues into suitable acceptor. Transglycosylation by the enzymes have been tested to improve solubility of some flavonoids and to favor precipitation ci some glycosides.

Palmitoylation of the Cysteine Residue in the DHHC Motif of a Palmitoyl Transferase Mediates Ca2+ Homeostasis in Aspergillus.

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Yuanwei Zhang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Finely tuned changes in cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]c mediate numerous intracellular functions resulting in the activation or inactivation of a series of target proteins. Palmitoylation is a reversible post-translational modification involved in membrane protein trafficking between membranes and in their functional modulation. However, studies on the relationship between palmitoylation and calcium signaling have been limited. Here, we demonstrate that the yeast palmitoyl transferase ScAkr1p homolog, AkrA in Aspergillus nidulans, regulates [Ca2+]c homeostasis. Deletion of akrA showed marked defects in hyphal growth and conidiation under low calcium conditions which were similar to the effects of deleting components of the high-affinity calcium uptake system (HACS. The [Ca2+]c dynamics in living cells expressing the calcium reporter aequorin in different akrA mutant backgrounds were defective in their [Ca2+]c responses to high extracellular Ca2+ stress or drugs that cause ER or plasma membrane stress. All of these effects on the [Ca2+]c responses mediated by AkrA were closely associated with the cysteine residue of the AkrA DHHC motif, which is required for palmitoylation by AkrA. Using the acyl-biotin exchange chemistry assay combined with proteomic mass spectrometry, we identified protein substrates palmitoylated by AkrA including two new putative P-type ATPases (Pmc1 and Spf1 homologs, a putative proton V-type proton ATPase (Vma5 homolog and three putative proteins in A. nidulans, the transcripts of which have previously been shown to be induced by extracellular calcium stress in a CrzA-dependent manner. Thus, our findings provide strong evidence that the AkrA protein regulates [Ca2+]c homeostasis by palmitoylating these protein candidates and give new insights the role of palmitoylation in the regulation of calcium-mediated responses to extracellular, ER or plasma membrane stress.

Imidazopyridine and Pyrazolopiperidine Derivatives as Novel Inhibitors of Serine Palmitoyl Transferase.

Science.gov (United States)

Genin, Michael J; Gonzalez Valcarcel, Isabel C; Holloway, William G; Lamar, Jason; Mosior, Marian; Hawkins, Eric; Estridge, Thomas; Weidner, Jeffrey; Seng, Thomas; Yurek, David; Adams, Lisa A; Weller, Jennifer; Reynolds, Vincent L; Brozinick, Joseph T

2016-06-23

To develop novel treatments for type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia, we pursued inhibitors of serine palmitoyl transferase (SPT). To this end compounds 1 and 2 were developed as potent SPT inhibitors in vitro. 1 and 2 reduce plasma ceramides in rodents, have a slight trend toward enhanced insulin sensitization in DIO mice, and reduce triglycerides and raise HDL in cholesterol/cholic acid fed rats. Unfortunately these molecules cause a gastric enteropathy after chronic dosing in rats.

Antioxidant enzyme gene delivery to protect from HIV-1 gp120-induced neuronal apoptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Agrawal, L; Louboutin, J-P; Reyes, B A S; Van Bockstaele, E J; Strayer, D S

2006-12-01

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection in the central nervous system (CNS) may lead to neuronal loss and progressively deteriorating CNS function: HIV-1 gene products, especially gp120, induce free radical-mediated apoptosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), are among the potential mediators of these effects. Neurons readily form ROS after gp120 exposure, and so might be protected from ROS-mediated injury by antioxidant enzymes such as Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and/or glutathione peroxidase (GPx1). Both enzymes detoxify oxygen free radicals. As they are highly efficient gene delivery vehicles for neurons, recombinant SV40-derived vectors were used for these studies. Cultured mature neurons derived from NT2 cells and primary fetal neurons were transduced with rSV40 vectors carrying human SOD1 and/or GPx1 cDNAs, then exposed to gp120. Apoptosis was measured by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Transduction efficiency of both neuron populations was >95%, as assayed by immunostaining. Transgene expression was also ascertained by Western blotting and direct assays of enzyme activity. Gp120 induced apoptosis in a high percentage of unprotected NT2-N. Transduction with SV(SOD1) and SV(GPx1) before gp120 challenge reduced neuronal apoptosis by >90%. Even greater protection was seen in cells treated with both vectors in sequence. Given singly or in combination, they protect neuronal cells from HIV-1-gp120 induced apoptosis. We tested whether rSV40 s can deliver antioxidant enzymes to the CNS in vivo: intracerebral injection of SV(SOD1) or SV(GPx1) into the caudate putamen of rat brain yielded excellent transgene expression in neurons. In vivo transduction using SV(SOD1) also protected neurons from subsequent gp120-induced apoptosis after injection of both into the caudate putamen of rat brain. Thus, SOD1 and GPx1 can be delivered by SV40 vectors in vitro or in vivo. This approach may merit consideration for

Nick Hornby’s A Long Way Down (2005 in the Transition from Book to Movie

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ömercan Tüm

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Nick Hornby’s A Long Way Down (2005 in the Transition from Book to movie Abstract Challenging and profound, Nick Hornby’s novel A Long Way Down (2005 is the story of four people failing to commit suicide. The protagonists are caught in an intricate web of relationships, disappointments and missed chances on their one-way journey to understand that “The cure for unhappiness is happiness” (Elizabeth McCracken. This paper aims at demonstrating that 2014 movie version directed by Pascal Chaumeil fails to capture the essence of the book and resorts to a number of radical changes which are only supposed to attract a larger audience, but do not necessarily send the same message as the novel.

Progranulin Reduced Neuronal Cell Death by Activation of Sortilin 1 Signaling Pathways After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Rats.

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Li, Bo; He, Yue; Xu, Liang; Hu, Qin; Tang, Junjia; Chen, Yujie; Tang, Jiping; Feng, Hua; Zhang, John H

2015-08-01

Progranulin has been reported to have neuroprotective actions in cultured neurons. This study investigated the effect of recombinant rat progranulin on early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Controlled in vivo laboratory study. Animal research laboratory. Two hundred thirty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 280-320 g. Subarachnoid hemorrhage was induced in rats by endovascular perforation. Rat recombinant progranulin (1 and 3 ng) was administrated intracerebroventricularly at 1.5 hours after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Progranulin small interfering RNA was administrated by intracerebroventricularly at 1 day before subarachnoid hemorrhage induction. Subarachnoid hemorrhage grade, neurologic score, and brain water content were measured at 24 and 72 hours after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Neural apoptosis was evaluated by double immunofluorescence staining using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated uridine 5'-triphosphate-biotin nick-end labeling and neuronal nuclei. For mechanistic study, the expression of progranulin, phosphorylated Akt, Akt, p-Erk, Erk, Bcl-2, and cleaved caspase-3 were analyzed by Western blot at 24 hours after subarachnoid hemorrhage. siRNA for sortilin 1 (a progranulin receptor) was used to intervene the downstream pathway. The expression of progranulin decreased and reached the lowest point at 24 hours after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Administration of rat recombinant progranulin decreased brain water content and improved neurologic functions at both 24 and 72 hours after subarachnoid hemorrhage, while knockdown of endogenous progranulin aggravated neurologic deficits after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Rat recombinant progranulin treatment reduced neuronal apoptosis, while progranulin deficiency promoted neuronal apoptosis at 24 hours after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Rat recombinant progranulin promoted Akt activation, increased Bcl-2 level, but reduced caspase-3 level. Knockdown of progranulin binding factor sortilin 1

Ultrasound-guided direct delivery of 3-bromopyruvate blocks tumor progression in an orthotopic mouse model of human pancreatic cancer.

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Ota, Shinichi; Geschwind, Jean-Francois H; Buijs, Manon; Wijlemans, Joost W; Kwak, Byung Kook; Ganapathy-Kanniappan, Shanmugasundaram

2013-06-01

Studies in animal models of cancer have demonstrated that targeting tumor metabolism can be an effective anticancer strategy. Previously, we showed that inhibition of glucose metabolism by the pyruvate analog, 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA), induces anticancer effects both in vitro and in vivo. We have also documented that intratumoral delivery of 3-BrPA affects tumor growth in a subcutaneous tumor model of human liver cancer. However, the efficacy of such an approach in a clinically relevant orthotopic tumor model has not been reported. Here, we investigated the feasibility of ultrasound (US) image-guided delivery of 3-BrPA in an orthotopic mouse model of human pancreatic cancer and evaluated its therapeutic efficacy. In vitro, treatment of Panc-1 cells with 3-BrPA resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability. The loss of viability correlated with a dose-dependent decrease in the intracellular ATP level and lactate production confirming that disruption of energy metabolism underlies these 3-BrPA-mediated effects. In vivo, US-guided delivery of 3-BrPA was feasible and effective as demonstrated by a marked decrease in tumor size on imaging. Further, the antitumor effect was confirmed by (1) a decrease in the proliferative potential by Ki-67 immunohistochemical staining and (2) the induction of apoptosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine 5-triphospate nick end labeling staining. We therefore demonstrate the technical feasibility of US-guided intratumoral injection of 3-BrPA in a mouse model of human pancreatic cancer as well as its therapeutic efficacy. Our data suggest that this new therapeutic approach consisting of a direct intratumoral injection of antiglycolytic agents may represent an exciting opportunity to treat patients with pancreas cancer.

Enhancement of P53-Mutant Human Colorectal Cancer Cells Radiosensitivity by Flavonoid Fisetin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Wenshu; Lee Yijang; Yu Yichu; Hsaio Chinghui

2010-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate whether fisetin is a potential radiosensitizer for human colorectal cancer cells, which are relatively resistant to radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: Cell survival was examined by clonogenic survival assay, and DNA fragmentation was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. The effects of treatments on cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were examined by flow cytometry. Western blot analysis was performed to ascertain the protein levels of γ-H2AX, phospho-Chk2, active caspase-3, PARP cleavage, phospho-p38, phospho-AKT, and phospho-ERK1/2. Results: Fisetin pretreatment enhanced the radiosensitivity of p53-mutant HT-29 human colorectal cancer cells but not human keratocyte HaCaT cells; it also prolonged radiation-induced G 2 /M arrest, enhanced radiation-induced cell growth arrest in HT-29 cells, and suppressed radiation-induced phospho-H2AX (Ser-139) and phospho-Chk2 (Thr-68) in p53-mutant HT-29 cells. Pretreatment with fisetin enhanced radiation-induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in HT-29 cells. Fisetin pretreatment augmented radiation-induced phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, which is involved in caspase-mediated apoptosis, and SB202190 significantly reduced apoptosis and radiosensitivity in fisetin-pretreated HT-29 cells. By contrast, both phospho-AKT and phospho-ERK1/2, which are involved in cell proliferation and antiapoptotic pathways, were suppressed after irradiation combined with fisetin pretreatment. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this study is the first to provide evidence that fisetin exerts a radiosensitizing effect in p53-mutant HT-29 cells. Fisetin could potentially be developed as a novel radiosensitizer against radioresistant human cancer cells.

Intratumoral distribution of CU-ATSM and FDG: immunohistochemical characterization of the region with high CU-ATSM or FDG accumulation

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Takako, Furukawa; Tsuneo, Saga; Yasuhisa, Fujibayashi [Institute of Radiological Sciences, Dept. of Diagnostic Imaging, Molecular Imaging Center, Nationa, Chiba (Japan); Takako, Furukawa; Takeshi, Tanaka; Yasuhisa, Fujibayashi [Fukui Univ., Biomedica Imaging Research Center (Japan)

2006-07-01

Intratumoral distribution of [Cu-64]Cu-di-acetyl-bis (N4-methyl-thio-semi-carbazone ) ({sup 64}Cu-ATSM) and fluorine-18 2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose ({sup 18}FDG) in mice bearing tumors of four different origins, LLC1 (Lewis lung carcinoma), Meth-A (sarcoma), B16 (melanoma) and colon26 (adenocarcinoma), were compared to the immunohistochemical staining for proliferating cells (Ki67), blood vessels (CD34 or von Willebrand Factor (vWF)) and apoptotic cells (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method). With all the cell lines, {sup 64}Cu-ATSM and {sup 18}FDG were distributed to different regions of the tumor mass. The immunohistochemical study demonstrated that the high {sup 64}Cu-ASTM uptake regions were hypo-vascular and consisted of tumor cells arrested in cell cycle, while the high {sup 18}FGD uptake regions were hyper-vascular and consisted of proliferating cells. Through our study, it was revealed that one tumor mass contains two regions of different characteristics, which can be distinguished by {sup 64}Cu-ATSM and {sup 18}FDG. Since hypoxia and cell cycle arrest are critical factors to reduce the sensitivity of tumor to radiation and conventional chemotherapy, regions with such characteristics in tumor should be treated intensively as one of the primary targets. {sup 64}Cu-ATSM which can delineate hypoxic and cell cycle arrested regions in tumors can provide valuable information for cancer treatment as well as the possibility to treat such regions directly as an internal radiotherapy reagent. (author)

[Inhibitory effect of baicalein on the proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma cells and mechanism].

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Tang, Zhibin; Li, Chun; Chen, Zhiwei

2015-03-01

To explore the effect of baicalein on the proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma cells and its related mechanism. Osteosarcoma MG-63 cells that were cultured in vitro were respectively treated with 20 μL culture medium (control group), dehydrated alcohol (0 μmol/L baicalein group), 100 and 200 μmol/L baicalein solution for 48 hours. Cell proliferation was analyzed by MTT assay. The cell invasion ability was detected using Transwell(TM) invasion assay. The expression of ezrin mRNA was examined by real-time quantitative PCR. The expressions of ezrin protein and p-ezrin protein were measured using Western blotting. Apoptosis index (AI) was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). The inhibitory rates of cell proliferation significantly increased in 100 and 200 μmol/L baicalein groups as compared with 0 μmol/L baicalein group. Moreover, that was higher in 200 μmol/L baicalein group than in 100 μmol/L baicalein group. In comparison with control and 0 μmol/L baicalein groups, the mean cell numbers of permeated membrane and levels of ezrin mRNA, ezrin protein and p-ezrin protein gradually decreased, but AI was gradually elevated with the increase of baicalein concentrations, whereas there was no significant difference in these indicators between 0 μmol/L baicalein group and control group. Baicalein can inhibit the proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma MG-63 cells. The mechanism may be associated with the inhibited expression and activity of ezrin protein and the promoted tumor cell apoptosis.

The role of apoptosis in MCLR-induced developmental toxicity in zebrafish embryos

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Zeng, Cheng [College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070 (China); Sun, Hong [Hubei Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Wuhan 430070 (China); Xie, Ping [Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072 (China); Wang, Jianghua; Zhang, Guirong; Chen, Nan [College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070 (China); Yan, Wei, E-mail: Yanwei75126@163.com [Institute of Agricultural Quality Standards and Testing Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064 (China); Li, Guangyu, E-mail: ligy2001@163.com [College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070 (China); Freshwater Aquaculture Collaborative Innovation Center of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430070 (China)

2014-04-01

Highlights: • MCLR-induced apoptosis in the heart of developing embryos leads to the growth delay in zebrafish. • MCLR-triggered apoptosis might be induced by ROS. • P53–Bax–Bcl-2 and caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway contribute greatly to MCLR-induced apoptosis. Abstract: We previously demonstrated that cyanobacteria-derived microcystin–leucine–arginine (MCLR) is able to induce developing toxicity, such as malformation, growth delay and also decreased heart rates in zebrafish embryos. However, the molecular mechanisms by which MCLR induces its toxicity during the development of zebrafish remain largely unknown. Here, we evaluate the role of apoptosis in MCLR-induced developmental toxicity. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to various concentrations of MCLR (0, 0.2, 0.5, 2, and 5.0 mg L⁻¹ for 96 h, at which time reactive oxygen species (ROS) was significantly induced in the 2 and 5.0 mg L⁻¹ MCLR exposure groups. Acridine orange (AO) staining and terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated deoxy-UTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay showed that MCLR exposure resulted in cell apoptosis. To test the apoptotic pathway, the expression pattern of several apoptotic-related genes was examined for the level of enzyme activity, gene and protein expression, respectively. The overall results demonstrate that MCLR induced ROS which consequently triggered apoptosis in the heart of developing zebrafish embryos. Our results also indicate that the p53–Bax–Bcl-2 pathway and the caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway play major roles in MCLR-induced apoptosis in the developing embryos.

EFFECT OF STENT ABSORBED c-myc ANTISENSE OLIGODEOXYNUCLEOTIDE ON SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS APOPTOSIS IN RABBIT CAROTID ARTERY

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

张新霞; 崔长琮; 李江; 崔翰斌; 徐仓宝; 朱参战

2002-01-01

Objective To investigate the effect of gelatin coated Platinium-Iridium stent absorbed c-myc antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ASODN) on smooth muscle cells apoptosis in a normal rabbit carotid arteries. Methods Gelatin coated Platinium-Iridium stents were implanted in the right carotid arteries of 32 rabbits under vision. Animals were randomly divided into control group and treated group receiving c-myc ASODN (n=16, respectively). On 7, 14, 30 and 90 days following the stenting procedure ,morphometry for caculation of neointimal area and mean neointimal thickness were performed.The expression of c-myc protein was detected by immunohistochemical method. Apoptotic smooth muscle cells was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). Results At 7 and 14 days after stenting,there were no detectable apoptotic cells in both groups. The apoptotic cells occurred in the neointima 30 and 90 days after stenting, and the number of apoptotic cells at 30 days were less [4.50±1.29 vs 25.75±1.89 (number/0.1mm2)] than that at 90 days [13.50±1.91 vs 41.50±6.46 (number/0.1mm2)]. Meanwhile c-myc ASODN induced more apoptotic cells than the control group(P<0.0001). c-myc protein expression was weak positive or negative in treated group and positive in control group.Conclusion c-myc ASODN can induce smooth muscle cells apoptosis after stenting in normal rabbit carotid arteries,and it can be used to prevent in-stent restenosis.

Antiangiogenic Effects of Noscapine Enhance Radioresponse for GL261 Tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newcomb, Elizabeth W.; Lukyanov, Yevgeniy; Alonso-Basanta, Michelle; Esencay, Min; Smirnova, Iva; Schnee, Tona; Shao Yongzhao; Devitt, Mary Louise; Zagzag, David; McBride, William; Formenti, Silvia C.

2008-01-01

Purpose: To assess the effects of noscapine, a tubulin-binding drug, in combination with radiation in a murine glioma model. Methods and Materials: The human T98G and murine GL261 glioma cell lines treated with noscapine, radiation, or both were assayed for clonogenic survival. Mice with established GL261 hind limb tumors were treated with noscapine, radiation, or both to evaluate the effect of noscapine on radioresponse. In a separate experiment with the same treatment groups, 7 days after radiation, tumors were resected and immunostained to measure proliferation rate, apoptosis, and angiogenic activity. Results: Noscapine reduced clonogenic survival without enhancement of radiosensitivity in vitro. Noscapine combined with radiation significantly increased tumor growth delay: 5, 8, 13, and 18 days for control, noscapine alone, radiation alone, and the combination treatment, respectively (p < 0.001). To assess the effect of the combination of noscapine plus radiation on the tumor vasculature, tubule formation by the murine endothelial 2H11 cells was tested. Noscapine with radiation significantly inhibited tubule formation compared with radiation alone. By immunohistochemistry, tumors treated with the combination of noscapine plus radiation showed a decrease in BrdU incorporation, an increase in apoptosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling, and a decrease in tumor vessel density compared with tumors treated with radiation alone. Conclusion: Noscapine enhanced the sensitivity of GL261 glioma tumors to radiation, resulting in a significant tumor growth delay. An antiangiogenic mechanism contributed to the effect. These findings are clinically relevant, particularly in view of the mild toxicity profile of this drug

Histologic evaluation of human benign prostatic hyperplasia treated by dutasteride: a study by xenograft model with improved severe combined immunodeficient mice.

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Tsujimura, Akira; Fukuhara, Shinichiro; Soda, Tetsuji; Takezawa, Kentaro; Kiuchi, Hiroshi; Takao, Tetsuya; Miyagawa, Yasushi; Nonomura, Norio; Adachi, Shigeki; Tokita, Yoriko; Nomura, Taisei

2015-01-01

To evaluate histologic change in human prostate samples treated with dutasteride and to elucidate direct effects of dutasteride on human prostate tissue, the present study was conducted by using a xenograft model with improved severe combined immunodeficient (super-SCID) mice, although it is well known that dutasteride reduces prostate volume. After establishment of a xenograft model of human benign prostatic hyperplasia in morphology and function, samples implanted into super-SCID mice with and without dutasteride were evaluated pathohistologically at 2 and 6 months after initiation of dutasteride administration. The proliferative index evaluated by Ki-67 staining was significantly lower in the dutasteride group than the control at 2 and 6 months after administration. Apoptotic index evaluated by the terminal transferase TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling staining was higher in the dutasteride group than the control at 2 and 6 months after administration. Quick scores in the dutasteride group for staining of both cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) and Ras homolog gene family, member A (RhoA) were significantly lower than those in the control group at 2 and 6 months after administration. Dutasteride inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis of prostatic cells, causing a reduced prostate volume. Furthermore, decreased expression of Cox-2 and RhoA within benign prostatic hyperplasia tissue by dutasteride may induce an early effect on improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms, probably by attenuating inflammation reaction of the prostate and decreasing intraurethral pressure, other than the mechanism of reduced prostate volume. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Protection of neurons in the retinal ganglion cell layer against excitotoxicity by the N-acylethanolamine, N-linoleoylethanolamine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duncan RS

2011-04-01

Full Text Available R. Scott Duncan1,*, Hua Xin1,*, Daryl L Goad1, Kent D Chapman2,3, Peter Koulen1,31Vision Research Center and Departments of Ophthalmology and Basic Medical Science, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO, USA; 2Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA; 3Center for Plant Lipid Research, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA *Authors contributed equallyAbstract: Retinal ganglion cell (RGC death is a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases and disease processes of the eye, including glaucoma. The protection of RGCs has been an important strategy for combating glaucoma, but little clinical success has been reported to date. One pathophysiological consequence of glaucoma is excessive extracellular glutamate subsequently leading to excitotoxicity in the retina. Endocannabinoids, such as the N-acylethanolamine (NAE, arachidonylethanolamine (NAE 20:4, exhibit neuroprotective properties in some models of neurodegenerative disease. The majority of NAEs, however, are not cannabinoids, and their physiological function is not clear. Here, we determined whether the noncannabinoid NAE, linoleoylethanolamine (NAE18:2, protects neurons in the RGC layer against glutamate excitotoxicity in ex-vivo retina cultures. Using a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP (2´-deoxyuridine 5´-triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL assay, we determined that NAE18:2 reduces the number of apoptotic RGC layer neurons in response to glutamate and conclude that NAE18:2 is a neuroprotective compound with potential for treating glaucomatous retinopathy.Keywords: neuroprotection, glutamate, calcium signaling, immunocytochemistry, eye, vision, glaucoma.

Sclerotic effect of oxytetracycline on the submandibular gland: An experimental model.

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Güçlü, Oğuz; Muratli, Asli; Arik, Deniz; Tekin, Kazım; Erdogan, Halil; Dereköy, Fevzi Sefa

2016-12-01

Oxytetracycline has been suggested as an alternate therapy for chronic recurrent sialadenitis and sialorrhea. We conducted an experimental study to investigate the sclerotic effect of this drug on the submandibular gland by histopathologic methods. Our subjects were 20 New Zealand white rabbits, which were divided into two groups of 10. The right submandibular gland of the rabbits in the active-treatment group was injected with 0.3 ml of oxytetracycline (100 mg/ml), and that of the controls was injected with saline. Four weeks after the injections, all the glands were removed. Histopathologic studies, including hematoxylin and eosin and Masson trichrome staining, were carried out. The glands were evaluated for tissue inflammation, congestion, fibrosis, edema, lipomatosis, and atrophy. To investigate apoptosis, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick-end labeling (TUNEL) immunohistochemical staining was used. In the study group, inflammation (n = 9), congestion (n = 9), fibrosis (n = 6), edema (n = 6), and lipomatosis (n = 4) were observed; in the sham group, only lipomatosis was seen (n = 5). The TUNEL assay results for acinar cells were 4.51 ± 1.41% in the oxytetracycline group and 2.08 ± 1.76% in the control group (p = 0.006); the corresponding figures for the duct cells were 7.05 ± 0.87% and 3.10 ± 2.26% (p = 0.001). Based on our findings, we conclude that oxytetracycline might be a viable alternative for the treatment of chronic recurrent sialadenitis and sialorrhea. However, more research in this area is needed.

Does sucralfate prevent apoptosis occurring in the ischemia/reperfusion-induced intestinal injury?

Science.gov (United States)

Sencan, A; Yilmaz, O; Ozer, E; Günşar, C; Genç, K; Ulukuş, C; Taneli, C; Mir, E

2003-08-01

We have shown in a previous study that sucralfate is beneficial in the prophylaxis and treatment of hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced intestinal injury. The aim of this study is to investigate whether sucralfate has any effect on the prevention of apoptosis in the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced intestinal injury. Rats were randomized into three groups. Group 1 and 2 were subjected to I/R. Group 1 (treatment group) received sucralfate while group 2 (treatment control group) did not. Group 3 served as a normal control group (sham group). The terminal ileum was harvested for histopathologic investigation by light microscopy. The presence of apoptotic enterocytes (DNA fragmentation in cell nuclei) was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end-labeling (TUNEL) reaction. In treatment control group, 3 of 7 rats had severe inflammation. None of the sucralfate-treated rats showed severe inflammation, 6 of them only showed mild inflammatory changes (p < 0.05). The apoptotic percentage was found to be 37.1 +/- 9.4 in the sucralfate-treated group (group 1), whereas it was 45.4 +/- 3.9 in the untreated group (group 2) (p < 0.05). The sham group had a completely normal intestinal architecture. The present study shows that 1) the experimental model of I/R-induced intestinal injury induces enterocyte apoptosis; 2) sucralfate decreases enterocyte apoptosis in the experimental model of I/R-induced intestinal injury which may play a key role in the pathophysiological events leading to failure of the intrinsic gut barrier defense mechanisms.

Agmatine protects against cell damage induced by NMDA and glutamate in cultured hippocampal neurons

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Wang, Wei-Ping; Iyo, Abiye H.; Miguel-Hidalgo, Javier; Regunathan, Soundar; Zhu, Meng-Yang

2010-01-01

Agmatine is a polyamine and has been considered as a novel neurotransmitter or neuromodulator in the central nervous system. In the present study, the neuroprotective effect of agmatine against cell damage caused by N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and glutamate was investigated in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity assay, β-tubulin III immunocytochemical staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay were conducted to detect cell damage. Exposure of 12-day neuronal cultures of rat hippocampus to NMDA or glutamate for 1 h caused a concentration-dependent neurotoxicity, as indicated by the significant increase in released LDH activities. Addition of 100 µM agmatine into media ablated the neurotoxicity induced by NMDA or glutamate, an effect also produced by the specific NMDA receptor antagonist dizocilpine hydrogen maleate (MK801). Arcaine, an analog of agmatine with similar structure as agmatine, fully prevented the NMDA- or glutamate-induced neuronal damage. Spermine and putrescine, the endogenous polyamine and metabolic products of agmatine without the guanidine moiety of agmatine, failed to show this effect, indicating a structural relevance for this neuroprotection. Immunocytochemical staining and TUNEL assay confirmed the findings in the LDH measurement. That is, agmatine and MK801 markedly attenuated NMDA-induced neuronal death and significantly reduced TUNEL-positive cell numbers induced by exposure of cultured hippocampal neurons to NMDA. Taken together, these results demonstrate that agmatine can protect cultured hippocampal neurons from NMDA- or glutamate-induced excitotoxicity, through a possible blockade of the NMDA receptor channels or a potential anti-apoptotic property. PMID:16546145

The effects of systemic, topical, and intralesional steroid treatments on apoptosis level of nasal polyps.

Science.gov (United States)

Kapucu, Burak; Cekin, Engin; Erkul, Bulent Evren; Cincik, Hakan; Gungor, Atila; Berber, Ufuk

2012-09-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the apoptotic responses to systemic, topical, and intrapolyp injection of glucocorticoid with no treatment in nasal polyps. Prospective, randomized controlled study. Tertiary training hospital. The study was performed on 48 patients with nasal polyposis in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology between 2008 and 2009. Patients were assigned to 1 of 4 groups of 12 patients. Group A was treated with oral methylprednisolone 1 mg/kg/d, and the dose was tapered gradually. Group B received 0.3 mL triamcinolone acetonide (40 mg/mL), which was injected into polyp tissue. Group C was treated with topical 55 µg triamcinolone acetonide 2 times daily for 1 month. Group D received no medication. Samples were collected endoscopically after the seventh day for groups A and B, the first month for group C, and the first visit for group D. Apoptotic indexes were determined using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling method. Statistically significant differences in apoptotic index were found between each steroid-medicated group and the control group (P (D-A) = .0001; P (D-B) = .003; P (D-C) = .026) and between groups A and C (P (A-C) = .012). Group B did not differ significantly from either group A or C (P (A-B) = .11; P (B-C) = .75). The apoptotic index in nasal polyps treated with systemic, topical, and intrapolyp injection forms of glucocorticoids was higher than that in the control group. Systemic steroid treatment induced the most apoptosis.

Puerarin protects differentiated PC12 cells from H₂O₂-induced apoptosis through the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qin; Huang, Wei-Dong; Lv, Xue-Ying; Yang, Yun-Mei

2012-05-01

Oxidative stress has been implicated as a major mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. ROS (reactive oxygen species) can cause cell death via apoptosis. NGF (nerve growth factor) differentiated rat PC12 cells have been extensively used to study the differentiation and apoptosis of neurons. This study has investigated the protective effects of puerarin in H2O2-induced apoptosis of differentiated PC12 cells, and the possible molecular mechanisms involved. Differentiated PC12 cells were incubated with 700 μM H2O2 in the absence or presence of different doses of puerarin (4, 8 and 16 μM). Apoptosis was assessed by MTS [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium] assay, TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling) analysis and Annexin V-PI (propidium iodide) double staining flow cytometry. Protein levels of phospho-Akt and phospho-BAD (Bcl-2/Bcl-XL-antagonist, causing cell death) were assayed by Western blotting. After stimulation with H2O2 for 18 h, the viability of differentiated PC12 cells decreased significantly and a large number of cells underwent apoptosis. Differentiated PC12 cells were rescued from H2O2-induced apoptosis at different concentrations of puerarin in a dose-dependent manner. This was through increased production of phospho-Akt and phospho-BAD, an effect that could be reversed by wortmannin, an inhibitor of PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase). The results suggest that puerarin may have neuroprotective effect through activation of the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway.

Examination of viability and quality of ovarian tissue after cryopreservation using simple laboratory methods in ewe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guerin Jean F

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The objective of the present study is to assess viability tests and to evaluate follicle ovarian tissue quality after freezing-thawing procedures. Methods Ewe's ovaries were harvested at the slaughterhouse, after dissection each ovarian specimen was divided into two groups: fresh tissue (control group and frozen tissue. In the first part of the study, the follicles viability was assessed by trypan blue staining, calcein AM/ethidium homodimer-1 staining (LIVE/DEAD viability/cytotoxicity kit, Molecular Probes and morphology in the two groups. In the second part of the study the quality of the whole ovarian tissue was evaluated by the quantification of the release of lactate dehydrogenase measurement (Cytotoxicity Detection kit ROCHE, DNA fragmentation by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL in primordial and primary follicles (ApopDETEK Kit system Enzo and morphology in the two groups. 100 Follicles (primordial and primary were counted on both fresh and frozen hemiovary to assess this various tests. Results Ovarian follicle viability assessment was similar using trypan blue or calcein/ethidium staining. Follicles showed a decreased viability after freezing-thawing. After cryopreservation, a significant correlation between the percentage of normal follicles and viability rate was found using trypan blue (r = 0.82, p Conclusion We suggest the use of trypan blue staining for the histological assessment of viability, the use of LDH assay for the cytotoxicity assessement and finally the use of DNA fragmentation assessment to valid different freezing-thawing protocols.

Epidermal cell death in frogs with chytridiomycosis

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Laura A. Brannelly

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background Amphibians are declining at an alarming rate, and one of the major causes of decline is the infectious disease chytridiomycosis. Parasitic fungal sporangia occur within epidermal cells causing epidermal disruption, but these changes have not been well characterised. Apoptosis (planned cell death can be a damaging response to the host but may alternatively be a mechanism of pathogen removal for some intracellular infections. Methods In this study we experimentally infected two endangered amphibian species Pseudophryne corroboree and Litoria verreauxii alpina with the causal agent of chytridiomycosis. We quantified cell death in the epidermis through two assays: terminal transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labelling (TUNEL and caspase 3/7. Results Cell death was positively associated with infection load and morbidity of clinically infected animals. In infected amphibians, TUNEL positive cells were concentrated in epidermal layers, correlating to the localisation of infection within the skin. Caspase activity was stable and low in early infection, where pathogen loads were light but increasing. In animals that recovered from infection, caspase activity gradually returned to normal as the infection cleared. Whereas, in amphibians that did not recover, caspase activity increased dramatically when infection loads peaked. Discussion Increased cell death may be a pathology of the fungal parasite, likely contributing to loss of skin homeostatic functions, but it is also possible that apoptosis suppression may be used initially by the pathogen to help establish infection. Further research should explore the specific mechanisms of cell death and more specifically apoptosis regulation during fungal infection.

Postconditioning with sevoflurane ameliorates spatial learning and memory deficit via attenuating endoplasmic reticulum stress induced neuron apoptosis in a rat model of hemorrhage shock and resuscitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xianwen; Wang, Jingxian; Zhang, Li; Zhang, Qiquan; Duan, Xiaowen; Zhang, Ye

2018-06-02

Hemorrhage shock could initiate endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and then induce neuronal apoptosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether sevoflurane postconditioning could attenuate brain injury via suppressing apoptosis induced by ERS. Seventy male rats were randomized into five groups: sham, shock, low concentration (sevo1, 1.2%), middle concentration (sevo2, 2.4%) and high concentration (sevo3, 3.6%) of sevoflurane postconditioning. Hemorrhage shock was induced by removing 40% of the total blood volume during an interval of 30 min. 1h after the completion of bleeding, the animals were reinfused with shed blood during the ensuing 30 min. The spatial learning and memory ability of rats were measured by Morris water maze (MWM) test three days after the operation. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) positive cells in the hippocampus CA1 region were assessed after the MWM test. The expression of C/EBP-homologousprotein (CHOP) and glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) in the hippocampus were measured at 24h after reperfusion. We found that sevoflurane postconditioning with the concentrations of 2.4% and 3.6% significantly ameliorated the spatial learning and memory ability, decreased the TUNEL-positive cells, and reduced the GRP78 and CHOP expression compared with the shock group. These results suggested that sevoflurane postconditioning with the concentrations of 2.4% and 3.6% could ameliorate spatial learning and memory deficit after hemorrhage shock and resuscitation injury via suppressing apoptosis induced by ERS. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Protective effects of a green tea polyphenol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, against sevoflurane-induced neuronal apoptosis involve regulation of CREB/BDNF/TrkB and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathways in neonatal mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Mei-Li; Ma, Hui; Man, Yi-Gang; Lv, Hong-Yan

2017-12-01

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol in green tea, is an effective antioxidant and possesses neuroprotective effects. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) are crucial for neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity. In this study, we aimed to assess the protective effects of EGCG against sevoflurane-induced neurotoxicity in neonatal mice. Distinct groups of C57BL/6 mice were given EGCG (25, 50, or 75 mg/kg body weight) from postnatal day 3 (P3) to P21 and were subjected to sevoflurane (3%; 6 h) exposure on P7. EGCG significantly inhibited sevoflurane-induced neuroapoptosis as determined by Fluoro-Jade B staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL). Increased levels of cleaved caspase-3, downregulated Bad and Bax, and significantly enhanced Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, xIAP, c-IAP-1, and survivin expression were observed. EGCG induced activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway as evidenced by increased Akt, phospho-Akt, GSK-3β, phospho-GSK-3β, and mTORc1 levels. Sevoflurane-mediated downregulation of cAMP/CREB and BDNF/TrkB signalling was inhibited by EGCG. Reverse transcription PCR analysis revealed enhanced BDNF and TrkB mRNA levels upon EGCG administration. Improved performance of mice in Morris water maze tests suggested enhanced learning and memory. The study indicates that EGCG was able to effectively inhibit sevoflurane-induced neurodegeneration and improve learning and memory retention of mice via activation of CREB/BDNF/TrkB-PI3K/Akt signalling.

Cytosolic labile zinc: a marker for apoptosis in the developing rat brain.

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Lee, Joo-Yong; Hwang, Jung Jin; Park, Mi-Ha; Koh, Jae-Young

2006-01-01

Cytosolic zinc accumulation was thought to occur specifically in neuronal death (necrosis) following acute injury. However, a recent study demonstrated that zinc accumulation also occurs in adult rat neurons undergoing apoptosis following target ablation, and in vitro experiments have shown that zinc accumulation may play a causal role in various forms of apoptosis. Here, we examined whether intraneuronal zinc accumulation occurs in central neurons undergoing apoptosis during development. Embryonic and newborn Sprague-Dawley rat brains were double-stained for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL) detection of apoptosis and immunohistochemical detection of stage-specific neuronal markers, such as nestin, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), TuJ1 and neuronal nuclear specific protein (NeuN). The results revealed that apoptotic cell death occurred in neurons of diverse stages (neural stem cells, and dividing, young and adult neurons) throughout the brain during the embryonic and early postnatal periods. Further staining of brain sections with acid fuchsin or zinc-specific fluorescent dyes showed that all of the apoptotic neurons were acidophilic and contained labile zinc in their cell bodies. Cytosolic zinc accumulation was also observed in cultured cortical neurons undergoing staurosporine- or sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced apoptosis. In contrast, zinc chelation with CaEDTA or N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine (TPEN) reduced SNP-induced apoptosis but not staurosporine-induced apoptosis, indicating that cytosolic zinc accumulation does not play a causal role in all forms of apoptosis. Finally, the specific cytosolic zinc accumulation may have a practical application as a relatively simple marker for neurons undergoing developmental apoptosis.

Glycoproteins and sialyl transferase of human B lymphoblastoid cell lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lui, S.W.L.; Ng, M.H.

1980-01-01

We used two radiolabeling methods to study glycoproteins on the surface of lymphoblastoid cells. One of the methods affects tritiation of residues which are oxidized with galactose oxidase and the other causes tritiation of neuraminic acid residues. This approach was shown to allow a better resolution of cell surface glycoproteins than if either method were used alone. Glycoproteins of B 1 - 19 cells which harbor the Epstein-Barr virus genomes were compared with those of its parental cell line, BJAB, which does not harbor the viral genomes. These studies did not reveal a unique viral protein. A 28,000 mol. wt. glycoprotein was found to be the most prominent neuraminic acidlabeled product of B 1 - 19 cells and also of the two other cell lines, Raji and Ly38, which harbor the EBV genomes. A similar molecular weight species from BJAB cells identified by galactose oxidase labeling might be deficient in neuraminic acid residues as it was poorly labeled by the periodate oxidation method. The neuraminic acid content and level of sialyl transferase of BJAB cells were found to be lower than those of the other cell lines studied. (auth.)

Effects of ghrelin on the apoptosis of human neutrophils in vitro

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Li, Bin; Zeng, Mian; Zheng, Haichong; Huang, Chunrong; He, Wanmei; Lu, Guifang; Li, Xia; Chen, Yanzhu; Xie, Ruijie

2016-01-01

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by lung inflammation and the diffuse infiltration of neutrophils into the alveolar space. Neutrophils are abundant, short-lived leukocytes that play a key role in immune defense against microbial infections. These cells die via apoptosis following the activation and uptake of microbes, and will also enter apoptosis spontaneously at the end of their lifespan if they do not encounter pathogens. Apoptosis is essential for the removal of neutrophils from inflamed tissues and for the timely resolution of neutrophilic inflammation. Ghrelin is an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone (GH) secretagogue receptor, produced and secreted mainly from the stomach. Previous studies have reported that ghrelin exerts anti-inflammatory effects in lung injury through the regulation of the apoptosis of different cell types; however, the ability of ghrelin to regulate alveolar neutrophil apoptosis remains largely undefined. We hypothesized that ghrelin may have the ability to modulate neutrophil apoptosis. In this study, to examine this hypothesis, we investigated the effects of ghrelin on freshly isolated neutrophils in vitro. Our findings demonstrated a decrease in the apoptotic ratio (as shown by flow cytometry), as well as in the percentage of cells with decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and in the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling-positive rate, accompanied by an increased B-cell lymphoma 2/Bax ratio and the downregulation of cleaved caspase-3 in neutrophils following exposure to lipopolysaccharide (100 ng/ml). However, pre-treatment with ghrelin at a physiological level (100 nM) did not have a notable influence on the neutrophils in all the aforementioned tests. Our findings suggest that ghrelin may not possess the ability to modulate the neutrophil lifespan in vitro. PMID:27431014

Site- and strand-specific nicking of DNA by fusion proteins derived from MutH and I-SceI or TALE repeats.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabsalilow, Lilia; Schierling, Benno; Friedhoff, Peter; Pingoud, Alfred; Wende, Wolfgang

2013-04-01

Targeted genome engineering requires nucleases that introduce a highly specific double-strand break in the genome that is either processed by homology-directed repair in the presence of a homologous repair template or by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) that usually results in insertions or deletions. The error-prone NHEJ can be efficiently suppressed by 'nickases' that produce a single-strand break rather than a double-strand break. Highly specific nickases have been produced by engineering of homing endonucleases and more recently by modifying zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) composed of a zinc finger array and the catalytic domain of the restriction endonuclease FokI. These ZF-nickases work as heterodimers in which one subunit has a catalytically inactive FokI domain. We present two different approaches to engineer highly specific nickases; both rely on the sequence-specific nicking activity of the DNA mismatch repair endonuclease MutH which we fused to a DNA-binding module, either a catalytically inactive variant of the homing endonuclease I-SceI or the DNA-binding domain of the TALE protein AvrBs4. The fusion proteins nick strand specifically a bipartite recognition sequence consisting of the MutH and the I-SceI or TALE recognition sequences, respectively, with a more than 1000-fold preference over a stand-alone MutH site. TALE-MutH is a programmable nickase.

The lectin domains of polypeptide GalNAc-transferases exhibit carbohydrate-binding specificity for GalNAc: lectin binding to GalNAc-glycopeptide substrates is required for high density GalNAc-O-glycosylation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wandall, Hans H; Irazoqui, Fernando; Tarp, Mads Agervig

2007-01-01

Initiation of mucin-type O-glycosylation is controlled by a large family of UDP GalNAc:polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases (GalNAc-transferases). Most GalNAc-transferases contain a ricin-like lectin domain in the C-terminal end, which may confer GalNAc-glycopeptide substrate specificit...

Mung Bean nuclease mapping of RNAs 3' end

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Barbieri Rainer

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract A method is described that allows an accurate mapping of 3' ends of RNAs. In this method a labeled DNA probe, containing the presumed 3' end of the RNA under analysis is allowed to anneals to the RNA itself. Mung-bean nuclease is then used to digest single strands of both RNA and DNA. Electrophoretic fractionation of "protected" undigested, labeled DNA is than performed using a sequence reaction of a known DNA as length marker. This procedure was applied to the analysis of both a polyA RNA (Interleukin 10 mRNA and non polyA RNAs (sea urchin 18S and 26S rRNAs. This method might be potentially relevant for the evaluation of the role of posttrascriptional control of IL-10 in the pathogenesis of the immune and inflammatory mediated diseases associated to ageing. This might allow to develop new strategies to approach to the diagnosis and therapy of age related diseases.

Perspectives on the ‘lens of risk’ interview series: interview with Nick Pidgeon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heyman, B.; Brown, P.

2012-01-01

This article is the first in a series which will appear in 2012 in the special issue series Health Care Through the `Lens of Risk'. It provides a quasi-verbatim transcript of an interview with Nick Pidgeon, one of the main contributors to the social science component of The Royal Society Risk Report

Labelling of. beta. -endorphin (. beta. -END) and. beta. -lipotropin (. beta. -LPH) by /sup 125/I

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deby-Dupont, G.; Joris, J.; Franchimont, P. (Universite de Liege (Belgique)); Reuter, A.M.; Vrindts-Gevaert, Y. (Institut des Radioelements, Fleurus (Belgique))

1983-01-01

5 ..mu..g of human ..beta..-endorphin were labelled with 2 mCi /sup 125/I by the chloramine T technique. After two gel filtrations on Sephadex G-15 and on Sephadex G-50 in phosphate buffer with EDTA, Trasylol and mercapto-ethanol, a pure tracer was obtained with a specific activity about 150 ..mu..Ci/..mu..g.Kept at + 4/sup 0/C, the tracer remained utilizable for 30 days without loss of immunoreactivity. The labelling with lactoperoxydase and the use of another gel filtration method (filtration on Aca 202) gave a /sup 125/I ..beta..-END tracer with the same immunoreactivity. The binding of this tracer to the antibody of an anti-..beta..-END antiserum diluted at 1/8000 was 32% with a non specific binding of 2%. 5 ..mu..g of human ..beta..-lipotropin were labelled with 0.5 mCi /sup 125/I by the lactoperoxydase method. After two gel filtrations on Sephadex G-25 and on Sephadex G-75 in phosphate buffer with EDTA, Trasylol and mercapto-ethanol, a pure tracer with a specific activity of 140 ..mu..Ci/..mu..g was obtained. It remained utilizable for 30 days when kept at + 4/sup 0/C. Gel filtration on Aca 202 did not give good purification, while gel filtration on Aca 54 was good but slower than on Sephadex G-75. The binding to antibody in absence of unlabelled ..beta..-LPH was 32% for an anti-..beta..-LPH antiserum diluted at 1/4000. The non specific binding was 2.5%.

DNA Packaging Specificity of Bacteriophage N15 with an Excursion into the Genetics of a Cohesive End Mismatch.

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Michael Feiss

Full Text Available During DNA replication by the λ-like bacteriophages, immature concatemeric DNA is produced by rolling circle replication. The concatemers are processed into mature chromosomes with cohesive ends, and packaged into prohead shells, during virion assembly. Cohesive ends are generated by the viral enzyme terminase, which introduces staggered nicks at cos, an approx. 200 bp-long sequence containing subsites cosQ, cosN and cosB. Interactions of cos subsites of immature concatemeric DNA with terminase orchestrate DNA processing and packaging. To initiate DNA packaging, terminase interacts with cosB and nicks cosN. The cohesive ends of N15 DNA differ from those of λ at 2/12 positions. Genetic experiments show that phages with chromosomes containing mismatched cohesive ends are functional. In at least some infections, the cohesive end mismatch persists through cyclization and replication, so that progeny phages of both allelic types are produced in the infected cell. N15 possesses an asymmetric packaging specificity: N15 DNA is not packaged by phages λ or 21, but surprisingly, N15-specific terminase packages λ DNA. Implications for genetic interactions among λ-like bacteriophages are discussed.

Synthesis and detection of 3'-OH terminal biotin-labeled DNA probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brakel, C.L.; Engelhardt, D.L.

1985-01-01

Nick translation has been used to prepare biotin-dUTP-containing DNA probes. These stable DNA probes have been identified, following hybridization to target DNA, by fluorescence using antibiotin antibodies or by enzyme reactions in which the enzyme has been linked to avidin or streptavidin. It is probable that this technology will be applicable to certain diagnostic determinations and that, with sufficient sensitivity, this technology might provide a system for obtaining rapid and specific diagnoses in situations presently requiring time-consuming growth assays. The sensitivity of this assay can be increased in two ways: (1) by increasing the amount of biotin contained in the DNA probes, and (2) by increasing the response to individual biotin molecules in the DNA probes. This report demonstrates that terminal deoxynucleotide transferase can be employed to increase the biotin content of DNA probes. We also introduce a new streptavidin-linked enzyme system that produces a greater response to biotinylated DNA probes than does streptavidin-linked horseradish peroxidase

Biodistribution of the 18F-labelled advanced glycation end products Nε-carboxymethyllysine (CML) and Nε-carboxyethyllysine (CEL)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergmann, R.; Helling, R.; Henle, T.; Heichert, C.; Scheunemann, M.; Maeding, P.; Wittrisch, H.; Johannsen, B.

2002-01-01

After synthesis of fluorine-18 labelled analogues [ 18 F]fluorobenzoylation at the α-amino group, biodistribution and elimination of individual advanced glycation end products, namely N ε -carboxymethyllysine and N ε -carboxyethyllysine, was studied in comparison to lysine in rats after intravenous injection using positron emission tomography. (orig.)

When is a lie more of a lie? Moral judgment mediates the relationship between perceived benefits of others and lie-labeling

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Cantarero Katarzyna

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Lay perceptions of lying are argued to consist of a lie prototype. The latter was found to entail the intention to deceive, belief in falsity and falsity (Coleman & Kay, 1981. We proposed and found that the perceptions of the benefits of others are also an important factor that influences the extent, to which an act of intentional misleading someone to foster a false belief is labeled as a lie. Drawing from the intuitionist model of moral judgments (Haidt, 2001 we assumed that moral judgment of the behaviour would mediate the relationship. In Study 1 we analyzed data coming from a crosscultural project and found that perceived intention to benefit others was negatively related to lie labeling and that this relationship was mediated by the moral judgment of that act. In Study 2 we found that manipulating the benefits of others influenced the extent, to which an act of intentional misleading in order to foster a false belief is labeled as a lie and that, again, this relationship is mediated by the moral judgment of that act.

Effect of superoxide anion scavenger on rat hearts with chronic intermittent hypoxia.

Science.gov (United States)

Pai, Peiying; Lai, Ching Jung; Lin, Ching-Yuang; Liou, Yi-Fan; Huang, Chih-Yang; Lee, Shin-Da

2016-04-15

Only very limited information regarding the protective effects of the superoxide anion scavenger on chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced cardiac apoptosis is available. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of the superoxide anion scavenger on cardiac apoptotic and prosurvival pathways in rats with sleep apnea. Forty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups, rats with normoxic exposure (Control, 21% O2, 1 mo), rats with chronic intermittent hypoxia exposure (Hypoxia, 3-7% O2vs. 21% O2per 40 s cycle, 8 h per day, 1 mo), and rats with pretreatment of the superoxide anion scavenger and chronic intermittent hypoxia exposure (Hypoxia-O2 (-)-Scavenger, MnTMPyP pentachloride, 1 mg/kg ip per day; 3-7% O2vs. 21% O2per 40 s cycle, 8 h per day, 1 mo) at 5-6 mo of age. After 1 mo, the protein levels and apoptotic cells of excised hearts from three groups were measured by Western blotting and terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The superoxide anion scavenger decreased hypoxia-induced myocardial architecture abnormalities, left ventricular hypertrophy, and TUNEL-positive apoptosis. The superoxide anion scavenger decreased hypoxia-induced Fas ligand, Fas death receptors, Fas-associated death domain (FADD), activated caspase-8, and activated caspase-3 (Fas-dependent apoptotic pathway) as well as Bad, activated caspase-9 and activated caspase-3 (mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway), endonuclease G (EndoG), apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), and TUNEL-positive apoptosis. The superoxide anion scavenger increased IGF-1, IGF-1R, p-PI3k, p-Akt, p-Bad, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL (survival pathway). Our findings imply that the superoxide anion scavenger might prevent cardiac Fas-mediated and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis and enhance the IGF-1-related survival pathway in chronic intermittent hypoxia. The superoxide anion scavenger may prevent chronic sleep apnea-enhanced cardiac apoptotic pathways and enhances

Neurotoxic, cytotoxic, apoptotic and antiproliferative effects of some marine algae extracts on the NA2B cell line.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurt, O; Özdal-Kurt, F; Akçora, C M; Özkut, M; Tuğlu, M I

2018-02-01

Oxidative stress contributes to cancer pathologies and to apoptosis. Marine algae exhibit cytotoxic, antiproliferative and apoptotic effects; their metabolites have been used to treat many types of cancer. We investigated in culture extracts of Petalonia fascia, Jania longifurca and Halimeda tuna to determine their effects on mouse neuroblastoma cell line, NA2B. NA2B cells were treated with algae extracts, and the survival and proliferation of NA2B cells were assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The effects of algae extracts on oxidative stress in NA2B cells also were investigated using nitric oxide synthase (NOS) immunocytochemistry and apoptosis was assessed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling. We observed significant neurite inhibition with moderate damage by the neurotoxicity-screening test (NST) at IC 50 dilutions of the extracts. MTT demonstrated that J. longifurca extracts were more toxic than P. fascia and H. tuna extracts. We found an increase of endothelial and inducible NOS immunostaining for oxidative stress and TUNEL analysis revealed increased apoptosis after application of extract. Our findings suggest that the algae we tested may have potential use for treatment of cancer.

Azadirachtin Affects the Growth of Spodoptera litura Fabricius by Inducing Apoptosis in Larval Midgut.

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, Benshui; Zhang, Jingjing; Cui, Gaofeng; Sun, Ranran; Yi, Xin; Zhong, Guohua

2018-01-01

Azadirachtin, the environmentally friendly botanical pesticide, has been used as an antifeedant and pest growth regulator in integrated pest management for decades. It has shown strong biological activity against Spodoptera litura , but the mechanism of toxicity remains unclear. The present study showed that azadirachtin inhibited the growth of S. litura larvae, which was resulted by structure destroy and size inhibition of the midgut. Digital gene expression (DGE) analysis of midgut suggested that azadirachtin regulated the transcriptional level of multiple unigenes involved in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and calcium apoptotic signaling pathways. Simultaneously, the expression patterns of some differentially expressed unigenes were verified by quantitative real time-PCR (qRT-PCR). In addition, the enhanced terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, the increased expression of caspase family members and apoptosis-binding motif 1 (IBM1) on both gene and protein level and the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytoplasm were induced in midgut after azadirachtin treatment. These results demonstrated that azadirachtin induced structural alteration in S. litura larval midgut by apoptosis activation. These alterations may affect the digestion and absorption of nutrients and eventually lead to the growth inhibition of larvae.

Nerve growth factor reduces apoptotic cell death in rat facial motor neurons after facial nerve injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Hui, Lian; Yuan, Jing; Ren, Zhong; Jiang, Xuejun

2015-01-01

To assess the effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on motor neurons after induction of a facial nerve lesion, and to compare the effects of different routes of NGF injection on motor neuron survival. This study was carried out in the Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, China Medical University, Liaoning, China from October 2012 to March 2013. Male Wistar rats (n = 65) were randomly assigned into 4 groups: A) healthy controls; B) facial nerve lesion model + normal saline injection; C) facial nerve lesion model + NGF injection through the stylomastoid foramen; D) facial nerve lesion model + intraperitoneal injection of NGF. Apoptotic cell death was detected using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling assay. Expression of caspase-3 and p53 up-regulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) was determined by immunohistochemistry. Injection of NGF significantly reduced cell apoptosis, and also greatly decreased caspase-3 and PUMA expression in injured motor neurons. Group C exhibited better efficacy for preventing cellular apoptosis and decreasing caspase-3 and PUMA expression compared with group D (pfacial nerve injury in rats. The NGF injected through the stylomastoid foramen demonstrated better protective efficacy than when injected intraperitoneally.

Nicked apomyoglobin: a noncovalent complex of two polypeptide fragments comprising the entire protein chain.

Science.gov (United States)

Musi, Valeria; Spolaore, Barbara; Picotti, Paola; Zambonin, Marcello; De Filippis, Vincenzo; Fontana, Angelo

2004-05-25

Limited proteolysis of the 153-residue chain of horse apomyoglobin (apoMb) by thermolysin results in the selective cleavage of the peptide bond Pro88-Leu89. The N-terminal (residues 1-88) and C-terminal (residues 89-153) fragments of apoMb were isolated to homogeneity and their conformational and association properties investigated in detail. Far-UV circular dichroism (CD) measurements revealed that both fragments in isolation acquire a high content of helical secondary structure, while near-UV CD indicated the absence of tertiary structure. A 1:1 mixture of the fragments leads to a tight noncovalent protein complex (1-88/89-153, nicked apoMb), characterized by secondary and tertiary structures similar to those of intact apoMb. The apoMb complex binds heme in a nativelike manner, as given by CD measurements in the Soret region. Second-derivative absorption spectra in the 250-300 nm region provided evidence that the degree of exposure of Tyr residues in the nicked species is similar to that of the intact protein at neutral pH. Also, the microenvironment of Trp residues, located in positions 7 and 14 of the 153-residue chain of the protein, is similar in both protein species, as given by fluorescence emission data. Moreover, in analogy to intact apoMb, the nicked protein binds the hydrophobic dye 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonate (ANS). Taken together, our results indicate that the two proteolytic fragments 1-88 and 89-153 of apoMb adopt partly folded states characterized by sufficiently nativelike conformational features that promote their specific association and mutual stabilization into a nicked protein species much resembling in its structural features intact apoMb. It is suggested that the formation of a noncovalent complex upon fragment complementation can mimic the protein folding process of the entire protein chain, with the difference that the folding of the complementary fragments is an intermolecular process. In particular, this study emphasizes the

Securing wilderness landscapes in South Africa : Nick Steele, private wildlife conservancies and saving rhinos

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wels,; H.,

2015-01-01

Private wildlife conservation is booming business in South Africa! Nick Steele stood at the cradle of this development in the politically turbulent 1970s and 1980s, by stimulating farmers in Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal) to pool resources in order to restore wilderness landscapes, but at the same time

The pleuromutilin drugs tiamulin and valnemulin bind to the RNA at the peptidyl transferase centre on the ribosome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, S M; Karlsson, M; Johansson, L B

2001-01-01

The pleuromutilin antibiotic derivatives, tiamulin and valnemulin, inhibit protein synthesis by binding to the 50S ribosomal subunit of bacteria. The action and binding site of tiamulin and valnemulin was further characterized on Escherichia coli ribosomes. It was revealed that these drugs...... centre and have been associated with binding of several antibiotics. Competitive footprinting shows that tiamulin and valnemulin can bind concurrently with the macrolide erythromycin but compete with the macrolide carbomycin, which is a peptidyl transferase inhibitor. We infer from these and previous...... results that tiamulin and valnemulin interact with the rRNA in the peptidyl transferase slot on the ribosomes in which they prevent the correct positioning of the CCA-ends of tRNAs for peptide transfer....

Use of radioactive double labelling technique in the chemical analysis of the mediators of cellular immunity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sorg, C.

1978-01-01

Radioactive double labelling was adapted for the analysis of mediators of cellular immunity. Two identical lymphocyte cultures were simultaneously labelled with [ 3 H]- or [ 14 C] leucine. Each of the cultures was stimulated with antigen or mitogen. The combined supernatants were then subjected to various fractionation procedures. By determining the isotope ratio in each fraction it is possible to identify those products of activated lymphocytes that have been produced either de novo or in increased amounts. The method proved sensitive enough to detect lymphocyte activation products in supernatants of activated lymphocyte cultures from guinea pig, mouse, and man

21 CFR 862.1030 - Alanine amino transferase (ALT/SGPT) test system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Alanine amino transferase (ALT/SGPT) test system... Test Systems § 862.1030 Alanine amino transferase (ALT/SGPT) test system. (a) Identification. An alanine amino transferase (ALT/SGPT) test system is a device intended to measure the activity of the...

Concentrating and labeling genomic DNA in a nanofluidic array

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marie, Rodolphe; Pedersen, Jonas Nyvold; Mir, Kalim U.

2018-01-01

, however, hinder the polymerase activity. We demonstrate a device and a protocol for the enzymatic labeling of genomic DNA arranged in a dense array of single molecules without attaching the enzyme or the DNA to a surface. DNA molecules accumulate in a dense array of pits embedded within a nanoslit due...... to entropic trapping. We then perform ϕ29 polymerase extension from single-strand nicks created on the trapped molecules to incorporate fluorescent nucleotides into the DNA. The array of entropic traps can be loaded with λ-DNA molecules to more than 90% of capacity at a flow rate of 10 pL min-1. The final...

Hybrid male sterility is caused by mitochondrial DNA deletion.

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Hayashida, Kenji; Kohno, Shigeru

2009-07-01

Although it is known that the hybrid male mouse is sterile just like any other animal's heterogametic sex, the reason why only the male germ cells are impaired has yet to be discovered. TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay using a confocal fluorescence microscope and DNA fragmentation assay of hybrid testis indicated destruction of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) rather than the nuclear DNA. Previously we reported that maternal mtDNA inheritance is through selective sperm mtDNA elimination based on the sperm factor and two egg factors, and expression of these three factors was recognized in the hybrid testis. It was thereby assumed that mtDNA destruction caused by the expression of maternal mtDNA inheritance system in male germ cells is implicated in the hybrid male sterility of mice.

Dehalogenation of chloroalkanes by nickel(i) porphyrin derivatives, a computational study.

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Szatkowski, L; Hall, M B

2016-11-14

The nickel(i) octaethylisobacteriochlorin anion ([OEiBCh-Ni (I) ] - ) is commonly used as a synthetic model of cofactor F 430 from Methyl-Coenzyme M Reductase. In this regard, experimental studies show that [OEiBCh-Ni (I) ] - can catalyze dehalogenation of aliphatic halides in DMF solution by a highly efficient S N 2 reaction. To better understand this process, we constructed theoretical models of the dehalogenation of chloromethane by a simple nickel(i) isobacteriochlorin anion and compared its reactivity with that of similar Ni (I) complexes with other porphyrin-derived ligands: porphyrin, chlorin, bactreriochlorin, hexahydroporphyrin and octahydroporphyrin. Our calculations predict that all of the porphyrin derivative's model reactions proceed through low-spin complexes. Relative to the energy of the separate reactants the theoretical activation energies (free-energy barriers with solvation corrections) for the dehalogenation of chloromethane are similar for all of the porphyrin derivatives and range for the different functionals from 10-15 kcal mol -1 for B3LYP to 5-10 kcal mol -1 for M06-L and to 13-18 kcal mol -1 for ωB97X-D. The relative free energies of the products of the dehalogenation step, L-Ni-Me adducts, have a range from -5 to -40 kcal mol -1 for all functionals; generally becoming more negative with increasing saturation of the porphyrin ligand. Moreover, no significant differences in the theoretical chlorine kinetic isotope effect were discernable with change of porphyrin ligand.

Last stop on the road to repair: structure of E. coli DNA ligase bound to nicked DNA-adenylate.

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Nandakumar, Jayakrishnan; Nair, Pravin A; Shuman, Stewart

2007-04-27

NAD(+)-dependent DNA ligases (LigA) are ubiquitous in bacteria and essential for growth. Their distinctive substrate specificity and domain organization vis-a-vis human ATP-dependent ligases make them outstanding targets for anti-infective drug discovery. We report here the 2.3 A crystal structure of Escherichia coli LigA bound to an adenylylated nick, which captures LigA in a state poised for strand closure and reveals the basis for nick recognition. LigA envelopes the DNA within a protein clamp. Large protein domain movements and remodeling of the active site orchestrate progression through the three chemical steps of the ligation reaction. The structure inspires a strategy for inhibitor design.

Rhombic-Shaped Nanostructures and Mechanical Properties of 2D DNA Origami Constructed with Different Crossover/Nick Designs.

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Ma, Zhipeng; Huang, Yunfei; Park, Seongsu; Kawai, Kentaro; Kim, Do-Nyun; Hirai, Yoshikazu; Tsuchiya, Toshiyuki; Yamada, Hirofumi; Tabata, Osamu

2018-01-01

DNA origami methods enable the fabrication of various nanostructures and nanodevices, but their effective use depends on an understanding of their structural and mechanical properties and the effects of basic structural features. Frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy is introduced to directly characterize, in aqueous solution, the crossover regions of sets of 2D DNA origami based on different crossover/nick designs. Rhombic-shaped nanostructures formed under the influence of flexible crossovers placed between DNA helices are observed in DNA origami incorporating crossovers every 3, 4, or 6 DNA turns. The bending rigidity of crossovers is determined to be only one-third of that of the DNA helix, based on interhelical electrostatic forces reported elsewhere, and the measured pitches of the 3-turn crossover design rhombic-shaped nanostructures undergoing negligible bending. To evaluate the robustness of their structural integrity, they are intentionally and simultaneously stressed using force-controlled atomic force microscopy. DNA crossovers are verified to have a stabilizing effect on the structural robustness, while the nicks have an opposite effect. The structural and mechanical properties of DNA origami and the effects of crossovers and nicks revealed in this paper can provide information essential for the design of versatile DNA origami structures that exhibit specified and desirable properties. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Shaofu Zhuyu Decoction Regresses Endometriotic Lesions in a Rat Model

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Guanghui Zhu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The current therapies for endometriosis are restricted by various side effects and treatment outcome has been less than satisfactory. Shaofu Zhuyu Decoction (SZD, a classic traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM prescription for dysmenorrhea, has been widely used in clinical practice by TCM doctors to relieve symptoms of endometriosis. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of SZD on a rat model of endometriosis. Forty-eight female Sprague-Dawley rats with regular estrous cycles went through autotransplantation operation to establish endometriosis model. Then 38 rats with successful ectopic implants were randomized into two groups: vehicle- and SZD-treated groups. The latter were administered SZD through oral gavage for 4 weeks. By the end of the treatment period, the volume of the endometriotic lesions was measured, the histopathological properties of the ectopic endometrium were evaluated, and levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA, CD34, and hypoxia inducible factor- (HIF- 1α in the ectopic endometrium were detected with immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, apoptosis was assessed using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT deoxyuridine 5′-triphosphate (dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL assay. In this study, SZD significantly reduced the size of ectopic lesions in rats with endometriosis, inhibited cell proliferation, increased cell apoptosis, and reduced microvessel density and HIF-1α expression. It suggested that SZD could be an effective therapy for the treatment and prevention of endometriosis recurrence.

Correlation between spontaneous apoptosis and the expression of angiogenic factors in advanced gastric adenocarcinoma.

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Ikeguchi, M; Cai, J; Fukuda, K; Oka, S; Katano, K; Tsujitani, S; Maeta, M; Kaibara, N

2001-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether angiogenic factors influence the occurrence of spontaneous apoptosis in advanced gastric cancer. The apoptotic indices (AIs) of 97 tumors from 97 patients with advanced gastric cancer (pT3, pN0, pM0, Stage II) were analyzed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. Intratumoral microvessel densities (IMVDs) of tumors stained with anti-CD34 monoclonal antibody were quantified under x 200 magnification using computer-assisted image analysis. The expressions of angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase), transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), and p53 were analyzed immunohistochemically and compared with IMVDs and AIs. The mean IMVD of the 97 tumors was 365/mm2 (range 147-990/mm2). The mean AI of tumors was 2.1% (range 0-11.3%). A significant inverse correlation between the AIs and the IMVDs was shown (p = -0.278, P = 0.0064). The mean IMVDs of tumors with high expressions of dThdPase, TGF-alpha, or p53 were significantly higher than those of tumors with low expressions of these factors. The mean AI of tumors with high expressions of dThdPase was significantly lower than that of tumors with low expressions of dThdPase (P = 0.023). However, no significant correlations were detected between AIs and the expression levels of VEGF, TGF-alpha, or p53. In gastric cancer, dThdPase may play an important role in tumor progression by increasing microvessels and by suppressing apoptosis of cancer cells.

Targeted deletion of Atg5 in chondrocytes promotes age-related osteoarthritis.

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Bouderlique, Thibault; Vuppalapati, Karuna K; Newton, Phillip T; Li, Lei; Barenius, Björn; Chagin, Andrei S

2016-03-01

It has been suggested that the lysosomal recycling process called macro-autophagy plays a role in osteoarthritis development. We thus decided to genetically ablate the autophagy-indispensable Atg5 gene specifically in chondrocytes and analyse the development of osteoarthritis upon aging and in a post-traumatic model. Mice lacking the Atg5 gene in their chondrocytes (Atg5cKO) were generated by crossing Atg5-floxed mice with transgenic mice that expressed cre recombinase driven by the collagen type 2 promoter. Animals were analysed at the age of 2, 6 and 12 months for age-related osteoarthritis or underwent mini-open partial medial meniscectomy at 2 months of age and were analysed 1 or 2 months after surgery. We evaluated osteoarthritis using the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) scoring on safranin-O-stained samples. Cell death was evaluated by terminal deoxy-nucleotidyl-transferase-mediated deoxy-UTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) and by immunostaining of cleaved caspases. We observed the development of osteoarthritis in Atg5cKO mice with aging including fibrillation and loss of proteoglycans, which was particularly severe in males. The ablation of Atg5 was associated with an increased cell death as assessed by TUNEL, cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved caspase 9. Surprisingly, no difference in the development of post-traumatic osteoarthritis was observed between Atg5cKO and control mice. Autophagy protects from age-related osteoarthritis by facilitating chondrocyte survival. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Classical swine fever virus induces pyroptosis in the peripheral lymphoid organs of infected pigs.

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Yuan, Jin; Zhu, Mengjiao; Deng, Shaofeng; Fan, Shuangqi; Xu, Hailuan; Liao, Jiedan; Li, Peng; Zheng, Jingfang; Zhao, Mingqiu; Chen, Jinding

2018-05-02

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) causes a highly lethal disease in pigs, which is characterized by immunosuppression. Leukopenia is known to be a possible mechanism of immunosuppression during CSFV infection. As a new and specialized form of cell death, pyroptosis is the key response of the innate immune system to pathogens, and is widely involved in the occurrence and development of infectious diseases. However, the relationship between CSFV and pyroptosis has not been explored. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of pyroptosis in pigs following CSFV infection. According to qRT-PCR assay results, the prevalence of this virus in peripheral lymphoid organs (tonsils, lymph nodes, and spleen) was much higher than that in other organs. Severe bleeding, necrosis, and a significant reduction in lymphocytes were found in the peripheral lymphoid organs of CSFV-infected pigs based on histological examination. In-depth studies showed that an increased ratio of deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells were present in the peripheral lymphoid organs of the CSFV-infected group according to immunohistochemistry. Meanwhile, the p10 subunit and activity of caspase-1, which is a regulator of pyroptosis, the N-terminal domain of gasdermin D, which is an executor of pyroptosis, and the cleavage and secretion of IL-1b, which is a product of pyroptosis were increased in the peripheral lymphoid organs of the CSFV-infected group. Together, these results demonstrated that pyroptosis is involved in CSFV-induced cell death in vivo, which provides a new understanding of the mechanism associated with lymphocyte depletion and immunosuppression in pigs infected with this virus. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sodium phenylbutyrate ameliorates focal cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury associated with comorbid type 2 diabetes by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress and DNA fragmentation.

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Srinivasan, Krishnamoorthy; Sharma, Shyam S

2011-11-20

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been postulated to play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury and diabetes. Diabetes is a major risk factor and also common amongst the people who suffer from stroke. In this study, we have investigated the neuroprotective potential of sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (SPB; 30-300mg/kg), a chemical chaperone by targeting ER stress in a rat model of transient focal cerebral ischemia associated with comorbid type 2 diabetes. Intraperitoneal treatment with SPB (100 and 300mg/kg) significantly ameliorated brain I/R damage as evidenced by reduction in cerebral infarct and edema volume. It also significantly improved the functional recovery of various neurobehavioral impairments (neurological deficit score, grip strength and rota rod) evoked by I/R compared with vehicle-treatment. Further, SPB (100mg/kg) significantly reduced the DNA fragmentation as shown by prominent reduction in terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells. This effect was observed concomitantly with significant attenuation in upregulation of 78kDa glucose regulated protein (GRP78), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein or growth arrest DNA damage-inducible gene 153 (CHOP/GADD153) and activation of caspase-12, specific markers of ER stress/apoptosis. The neuroprotection observed with SPB was independent of its effect on cerebral blood flow and blood glucose. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the neuroprotective effect of SPB owing to amelioration of ER stress and DNA fragmentation. It also suggest that targeting ER stress might offer a promising therapeutic approach and benefits against ischemic stroke associated with comorbid type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cryopreservation of ram semen with antioxidant supplemented soybean lecithin-based extenders and impacts on incubation resilience.

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Toker, M Berk; Alcay, Selim; Gokce, Elif; Ustuner, Burcu

2016-06-01

The scope of this study was investigation the affects of various antioxidants on 1% soybean lecithin-based semen extenders for ram semen cryopreservation. Ejaculates, collected via electrically stimulated ejaculation, that have a thick consistency, rapid wave motion (3-5 on a 0-5 scale) and >75% initial motility were pooled. The pooled samples were split into four equal aliquots as 5 mM Methionine, 5 mM Cysteamine, 1 mM Cysteine and a sample of antioxidant-free control group. Each sample group was diluted to a ratio of 1/5 (semen/extender, v/v) as final concentration and two step dilution method was used for cryopreservation. Extender groups were assessed for sperm motility, plasma membrane functional integrity using hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST), damaged acrosome using FITC-Pisum sativum agglutinin (PSA-FITC) and DNA integrity using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). Semen samples also incubated for 6 h in humidified air with 5% CO2 at 39 °C to evaluate post-thaw incubation resilience of semen characteristics. The results showed that freezing and thawing procedures had negative effects on motility (P < 0.05), plasma membrane integrity (P < 0.05) and acrosomal integrity (P < 0.05). After 6 h of incubation time, the Cysteine supplemented extender group yielded significantly higher results than other extender groups in terms of spermatological parameters. Furthermore MDA levels in the antioxidant groups were lower than control group (P < 0.05). Nevertheless, there were no significant differences among antioxidant groups. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Palmitate induces VSMC apoptosis via toll like receptor (TLR)4/ROS/p53 pathway.

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Zhang, Yuanjun; Xia, Guanghao; Zhang, Yaqiong; Liu, Juxiang; Liu, Xiaowei; Li, Weihua; Lv, Yaya; Wei, Suhong; Liu, Jing; Quan, Jinxing

2017-08-01

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has been implicated in vascular inflammation, as well as in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and diabetes. Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) apoptosis has been shown to induce plaque vulnerability in atherosclerosis. Previous studies reported that palmitate induced apoptosis in VSMCs; however, the role of TLR4 in palmitate-induced apoptosis in VSMCs has not yet been defined. In this study, we investigated whether or not palmitate-induced apoptosis depended on the activation of the TLR4 pathway. VSMCs were treated with or without palmitate, CRISPR/Cas9z-mediated genome editing methods were used to deplete TLR4 expression, while NADPH oxidase inhibitors were used to inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Cell apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, ROS was measured using the 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) method, the mRNA and protein expression levels of caspase 3, caspase 9, BCL-2 and p53 were studied by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and ELISA. Palmitate significantly promotes VSMC apoptosis, ROS generation, and expression of caspase 3, caspase 9 and p53; while NADPH oxidase inhibitor pretreatment markedly attenuated these effects. Moreover, knockdown of TLR4 significantly blocked palmitate-induced ROS generation and VSMC apoptosis accompanied by inhibition of caspase 3, caspase 9, p53 expression and restoration of BCL-2 expression. Our results suggest that palmitate-induced apoptosis depends on the activation of the TLR4/ROS/p53 signaling pathway, and that TLR4 may be a potential therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Corn silk maysin induces apoptotic cell death in PC-3 prostate cancer cells via mitochondria-dependent pathway.

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Lee, Jisun; Lee, Seul; Kim, Sun-Lim; Choi, Ji Won; Seo, Jeong Yeon; Choi, Doo Jin; Park, Yong Il

2014-12-05

Despite recent advances in prostate cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, the overall survival rate still remains low. This study was aimed to assess potential anti-cancer activity of maysin, a major flavonoid of corn silk (CS, Zea mays L.), in androgen-independent human prostate cancer cells (PC-3). Maysin was isolated from CS of Kwangpyeongok, a Korean hybrid corn, via methanol extraction and preparative C18 reverse phase column chromatography. Maysin cytotoxicity was determined by either monitoring cell viability in various cancer cell lines by MTT assay or morphological changes. Apoptotic cell death was assessed by annexin V-FITC/PI double staining, depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), expression levels of Bcl-2 and pro-caspase-3 and by terminal transferase mediated dUTP-fluorescein nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Underlying mechanism in maysin-induced apoptosis of PC-3 cells was explored by evaluating its effects on Akt and ERK pathway. Maysin dose-dependently reduced the PC-3 cell viability, with an 87% reduction at 200 μg/ml. Maysin treatment significantly induced apoptotic cell death, DNA fragmentation, depolarization of MMP, and reduction in Bcl-2 and pro-caspase-3 expression levels. Maysin also significantly attenuated phosphorylation of Akt and ERK. A combined treatment with maysin and other known anti-cancer agents, including 5-FU, etoposide, cisplatin, or camptothecin, synergistically enhanced PC-3 cell death. These results suggested for the first time that maysin inhibits the PC-3 cancer cell growth via stimulation of mitochondria-dependent apoptotic cell death and may have a strong therapeutic potential for the treatment of either chemo-resistant or androgen-independent human prostate cancer. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gualou Xiebai Decoction, a Traditional Chinese Medicine, Prevents Cardiac Reperfusion Injury of Hyperlipidemia Rat via Energy Modulation.

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Yan, Lu-Lu; Zhang, Wei-Yang; Wei, Xiao-Hong; Yan, Li; Pan, Chun-Shui; Yu, Yang; Fan, Jing-Yu; Liu, Yu-Ying; Zhou, Hua; Han, Jing-Yan; Yao, Xin-Sheng

2018-01-01

Background: Gualou Xiebai Decoction (GLXB) is a classic prescription of Chinese medicine used for the treatment of cardiac problems. The present study was designed to explore the effect and mechanism of GLXB on ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) induced disorders in myocardial structure and function, focusing on the regulation of energy metabolism and the RhoA/ROCK pathway. Methods: After hyperlipidemic rat model was established by oral administration of high fat diet, the rats were treated with GLXB for 6 weeks and subjected to 30 min occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LADCA) followed by 90 min reperfusion to elicit I/R challenge. Myocardial infarct size was assessed by Evans blue-TTC staining. Myocardial blood flow (MBF) and cardiac function were evaluated. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to examine the content of ATP, ADP, AMP, CK, CK-MB, LDH, cTnT, cTnI, and IL-6. Double staining of F-actin and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling was conducted to assess myocardial apoptosis. Expressions of ATP synthase subunit δ (ATP 5D), and RhoA and ROCK were determined by Western blotting. Results: Administration with GLXB at high dose for 6 weeks protected heart against I/R-induced MBF decrease, myocardial infarction and apoptosis, ameliorated I/R-caused impairment of cardiac function and myocardial structure, restored the decrease in the ratio of ADP/ATP and AMP/ATP, and the expression of ATP 5D with inhibiting the expression of RhoA and ROCK. Conclusions: Treatment with GLXB effectively protects myocardial structure and function from I/R challenge, possibly via regulating energy metabolism involving inactivation of RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway.

Epithelial apoptosis in mechanistically distinct methods of injury in the murine small intestine

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Vyas, Dinesh; Robertson, Charles M; Stromberg, Paul E; Martin, James R.; Dunne, W. Michael; Houchen, Courtney W; Barrett, Terrence A; Ayala, Alfred; Perl, Mario; Buchman, Timothy G; Coopersmith, Craig M

2007-01-01

Gut epithelial apoptosis is involved in the pathophysiology of multiple diseases. This study characterized intestinal apoptosis in three mechanistically distinct injuries with different kinetics of cell death. FVB/N mice were subjected to gamma radiation, Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia or injection of monoclonal anti-CD3 antibody and sacrificed 4, 12, or 24 hours post-injury (n=10/time point). Apoptosis was quantified in the jejunum by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), active caspase-3, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP-mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL), in situ oligoligation reaction (ISOL,) cytokeratin 18, and annexin V staining. Reproducible results were obtained only for H&E, active caspase-3, TUNEL and ISOL, which were quantified and compared against each other for each injury at each time point. Kinetics of injury were different with early apoptosis highest following radiation, late apoptosis highest following anti CD3, and more consistent levels following pneumonia. ISOL was the most consistent stain and was always statistically indistinguishable from at least 2 stains. In contrast, active caspase-3 demonstrated lower levels of apoptosis, while the TUNEL assay had higher levels of apoptosis in the most severely injured intestine regardless of mechanism of injury. H&E was a statistical outlier more commonly than any other stain. This suggests that regardless of mechanism or kinetics of injury, ISOL correlates to other quantification methods of detecting gut epithelial apoptosis more than any other method studied and compares favorably to other commonly accepted techniques of quantifying apoptosis in a large intestinal cross sectional by balancing sensitivity and specificity across a range of times and levels of death. PMID:17357092

The leaves of Diospyros kaki exert beneficial effects on a benzalkonium chloride-induced murine dry eye model.

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Kim, Kyung-A; Hyun, Lee Chung; Jung, Sang Hoon; Yang, Sung Jae

2016-01-01

In this study, the beneficial effects of the oral administration of ethanol extract of Diospyros kaki (EEDK) were tested on a mouse dry eye model induced by benzalkonium chloride (BAC). A solution of 0.2% BAC was administered topically to mouse eyes for 14 days, twice daily, to induce dry eye. Various concentrations of EEDK were administrated daily by oral gavage for 14 days after BAC treatment. Preservative-free eye drops were instilled in the positive-control group. The tear secretion volume (Schirmer's test), tear break-up time (BUT), and fluorescein score were measured on the ocular surface. BAC-induced corneal damage was tested with hematoxylin-eosin staining. Moreover, apoptotic cell death in the corneal epithelial layer was investigated with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The protein expression level of interleukin-1alpha (IL-1α), IL-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor- alpha (TNF-α), and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) was determined with western blot analysis. Furthermore, squamous metaplasia in the corneal epithelial layer was detected with immunofluorescent staining for cytokeratine-10. The cellular proliferation in the cornea was examined with immunohistochemical staining for Ki-67. EEDK treatment resulted in prolonged BUT, decreased fluorescein score, increased tear volume, and smoother epithelial cells compared with BAC treatment alone in the cornea. Moreover, EEDK treatment inhibited the inflammatory response and corneal epithelial cell death in a BAC-induced murine dry eye model, and changes in squamous cells were inhibited. Proliferative activity in the corneal epithelium cells was improved with EEDK. EEDK could be a potential therapeutic agent in the clinical treatment of dry eye.

A novel model for rapid induction of apoptosis in spiral ganglions of mice.

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Lee, Ji Eun; Nakagawa, Takayuki; Kim, Tae Soo; Iguchi, Fukuichiro; Endo, Tsuyoshi; Dong, Youyi; Yuki, Kazuo; Naito, Yasushi; Lee, Sang Heun; Ito, Juichi

2003-06-01

The survival of the spiral ganglion (SG) is a critical issue in preservation of hearing. Research on topics related to this issue requires a mouse experimental model because such a model has advantages including use of genetic information and knockout or "knockin" mice. Thus, the aim of the study was to establish a mouse model for induction of apoptosis of SG neurons with a definite time course. Laboratory study using experimental animals. C57BL/6 mice were used as experimental animals and were subjected to direct application of cisplatin into the inner ear. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay and immunostaining for Neurofilament 200-kD (NF) and peripherin were used for analysis of SG degeneration. In addition, generation of peroxynitrite in affected spiral ganglions was examined by immunostaining for nitrotyrosine. Cellular location of activated caspase-9 and cytochrome-c in dying SG neurons were examined for analysis of cell death pathway. The TUNEL assay and immunohistochemical analysis for NF and peripherin indicated that type I neurons in spiral ganglions were deleted through the apoptotic pathway over time. Spiral ganglion neurons treated with cisplatin exhibited expression of nitrotyrosine, indicating induction of peroxynitrite by cisplatin. In dying SG neurons, expression of activated caspase-9 and translocation of cytochrome-c from mitochondria to cytoplasm were observed, indicating the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. The predictable fashion of induction of apoptosis in SG neurons over a well-defined time course in the model in the study will aid studies of the molecular mechanism of cell death and elucidation of a strategy for prevention of SG degeneration.

Insulin-Like growth factor-II (IGF-II) prevents proinflammatory cytokine-induced apoptosis and significantly improves islet survival after transplantation.

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Hughes, Amy; Mohanasundaram, Daisy; Kireta, Svjetlana; Jessup, Claire F; Drogemuller, Chris J; Coates, P Toby H

2013-03-15

The early loss of functional islet mass (50-70%) due to apoptosis after clinical transplantation contributes to islet allograft failure. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-II is an antiapoptotic protein that is highly expressed in β-cells during development but rapidly decreases in postnatal life. We used an adenoviral (Ad) vector to overexpress IGF-II in isolated rat islets and investigated its antiapoptotic action against exogenous cytokines interleukin-1β- and interferon-γ-induced islet cell death in vitro. Using an immunocompromised marginal mass islet transplant model, the ability of Ad-IGF-II-transduced rat islets to restore euglycemia in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient diabetic recipients was assessed. Ad-IGF-II transduction did not affect islet viability or function. Ad-IGF-II cytokine-treated islets exhibited decreased cell death (40% ± 2.8%) versus Ad-GFP and untransduced control islets (63.2% ± 2.5% and 53.6% ± 2.3%, respectively). Ad-IGF-II overexpression during cytokine treatment resulted in a marked reduction in terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling-positive apoptotic cells (8.3% ± 1.4%) versus Ad-GFP control (41% ± 4.2%) and untransduced control islets (46.5% ± 6.2%). Western blot analysis confirmed that IGF-II inhibits apoptosis via activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway. Transplantation of IGF-II overexpressing islets under the kidney capsule of diabetic mice restored euglycemia in 77.8% of recipients compared with 18.2% and 47.5% of Ad-GFP and untransduced control islet recipients, respectively (Pislet transplant outcomes in vivo. Antiapoptotic gene transfer is a potentially powerful tool to improve islet survival after transplantation.

Bioflavonoids Effects of Ginger on Glomerular Podocyte Apoptosis in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rat

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Hajhosieni Laleh

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Objective: Ginger is a strong antioxidant and long-term treatment of streptozotocin (STZ-diabetic animals, and it has been shown to reduce oxidative stress. Prevalence oxidative stress among urban life and changes in antioxidant capacity are considered asplay an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods: Wistar male rat (n = 40 were divided into three groups, control group (n = 10 and Ginger Quercetin group that received 100 mg/kg (gavage, (n = 10, and diabetic group, which received 55 mg/kg intra peritoneal (IP STZ (n = 20, which was subdivided to two groups of 10; STZ group and treatment group. Treatment group received 55 mg/kg (IP STZ plus100 mg/kg ginger, daily for, 8 weeks, respectively; however, the control group just received an equal volume of distilled water daily (IP. Diabetes was induced by a single (IP injection of STZ (55 mg/kg. Animals were kept in standard condition. In 28 day after inducing diabetic 5 cc blood were collected for total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde and oxidized low density lipoprotein levels and kidney tissues of rat in whole groups were removed then prepared for apoptosis analysis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay (TUNEL method. Results: Apoptotic cells significantly decreased in group that has received 100 mg/kg ginger (P < 0.05 in comparison to experimental groups (P < 0.05. Conclusion: Since in our study 100 mg/kg ginger have significantly preventive effect on kidney cells damages by reducing number of apoptotic cells in kidney and hence it seems that using it can be effective for treatment in diabetic rat.

Expression of hPNAS-4 Radiosensitizes Lewis Lung Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng Hui; Yuan Zhu; Zhu Hong; Li Lei; Shi Huashan; Wang Zi; Fan Yu; Deng Qian; Zeng Jianshuang; He Yinbo; Xiao Jianghong; Li Zhiping

2012-01-01

Purpose: This study aimed to transfer the hPNAS-4 gene, a novel apoptosis-related human gene, into Lewis lung cancer (LL2) and observe its radiosensitive effect on radiation therapy in vitro and in vivo. Methods and Materials: The hPNAS-4 gene was transfected into LL2 cells, and its expression was detected via western blot. Colony formation assay and flow cytometry were used to detect the growth and apoptosis of cells treated with irradiation/PNAS-4 in vitro. The hPNAS-4 gene was transferred into LL2-bearing mice through tail vein injection of the liposome/gene complex. The tumor volumes were recorded after radiation therapy. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemistry staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay were performed to detect the tumor cell growth and apoptosis in vivo. Results: The hPNAS-4 gene was successfully transferred into LL2 cells and tumor tissue, and its overexpressions were confirmed via western blot analysis. Compared with the control, empty plasmid, hPNAS-4, radiation, and empty plasmid plus radiation groups, the hPNAS-4 plus radiation group more significantly inhibited growth and enhanced apoptosis of LL2 cells in vitro and in vivo (P<.05). Conclusions: The hPNAS-4 gene was successfully transferred into LL2 cells and tumor tissue and was expressed in both LL2 cell and tumor tissue. The hPNAS-4 gene therapy significantly enhanced growth inhibition and apoptosis of LL2 tumor cells by radiation therapy in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, it may be a potential radiosensitive treatment of radiation therapy for lung cancer.

Treatment Combining X-Irradiation and a Ribonucleoside Anticancer Drug, TAS106, Effectively Suppresses the Growth of Tumor Cells Transplanted in Mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasui, Hironobu; Inanami, Osamu; Asanuma, Taketoshi; Iizuka, Daisuke; Nakajima, Takayuki; Kon, Yasuhiro; Matsuda, Akira; Kuwabara, Mikinori

2007-01-01

Purpose: To examine the in vivo antitumor efficacy of X-irradiation combined with administration of a ribonucleoside anticancer drug, 1-(3-C-ethynyl-β-D-ribo-pentofuranosyl)cytosine (TAS106, ECyd), to tumor cell-transplanted mice. Methods and Materials: Colon26 murine rectum adenocarcinoma cells and MKN45 human gastric adenocarcinoma cells were inoculated into the footpad in BALB/c mice and severe combined immunodeficient mice, respectively. They were treated with a relatively low dose of X-irradiation (2 Gy) and low amounts of TAS106 (0.1 mg/kg and 0.5 mg/kg). The tumor growth was monitored by measuring the tumor volume from Day 5 to Day 16 for Colon26 and from Day 7 to Day 20 for MKN45. Histologic analyses for proliferative and apoptotic cells in the tumors were performed using Ki-67 immunohistochemical and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling staining. The expression of survivin, a key molecule related to tumor survival, was assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical analysis. Results: When X-irradiation and TAS106 treatment were combined, significant inhibition of tumor growth was observed in both types of tumors compared with mice treated with X-irradiation or TAS106 alone. Marked inhibition of tumor growth was observed in half of the mice that received the combined treatment three times at 2-day intervals. Parallel to these phenomena, the suppression of survivin expression and appearance of Ki-67-negative and apoptotic cells were observed. Conclusions: X-irradiation and TAS106 effectively suppress tumor growth in mice. The inhibition of survivin expression by TAS106 is thought to mainly contribute to the suppression of the tumor growth

Characterization of neuronal cell death in the spiral ganglia of a mouse model of endolymphatic hydrops.

Science.gov (United States)

Semaan, Maroun T; Zheng, Qing Y; Han, Fengchan; Zheng, Yuxi; Yu, Heping; Heaphy, John C; Megerian, Cliff A

2013-04-01

Spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) in the Phex male mouse, a murine model of postnatal endolymphatic hydrops (ELH) undergo progressive deterioration reminiscent of human and other animal models of ELH with features suggesting apoptosis as an important mechanism. Histologic analysis of the mutant's cochlea demonstrates ELH by postnatal Day (P) 21 and SGN loss by P90. The SGN loss seems to occur in a consistent topographic pattern beginning at the cochlear apex. SGN were counted at P60, P90, and P120. Semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), quantitative PCR, and immunohistochemical analyses of activated caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 were performed on cochlear sections obtained from mutants and controls. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling assay (TUNEL) was carried out on 2 mutants and 2 controls. Corrected SGN counts in control mice were greater in the apical turn of the cochleae at P90 and P120, respectively (p < 0.01). Increased expression of activated caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 was seen in the mutant. At later time points, activated caspase expression gradually declined in the apical turns and increased in basal turns of the cochlea. Quantitative and semiquantitative PCR analysis confirmed increased expression of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 at P21 and P40. TUNEL staining demonstrated apoptosis at P90 in the apical and basal turns of the mutant cochleae. SGN degeneration in the Phex /Y mouse seems to mimic patterns observed in other animals with ELH. Apoptosis plays an important role in the degeneration of the SGN in the Phex male mouse.

α2-Adrenergic modulation of the glutamate receptor and transporter function in a chronic ocular hypertension model.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Kyoung In; Kim, Jie Hyun; Park, Chan Kee

2015-10-15

Excitotoxicity, glutamate-induced toxic effects to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), is one of several mechanisms of RGC loss suggested in glaucoma. In this study, we focused on the role of glutamate transporter of glial cells as well as N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor with regard to glutamate toxicity in glaucoma. We also investigated whether α2-adrenoceptor activation could modulate glutamate transporters and NMDA receptors in a chronic ocular hypertension model. Brimonidine 0.15% was administered topically to the eyes of experimental glaucoma and control animals twice daily. After 8 weeks of intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation, staining with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) revealed an increase in the ganglion cell layer, and the number of TUNEL-positive cells was reduced by brimonidine treatment (P<0.05). Animals with experimentally induced glaucoma exhibited an increase in retinal stress marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity; brimonidine treatment reduced GFAP. Excitatory amino acid transporter 1(EAAT1) expression remained stable throughout the period of chronic ocular hypertension. α2-Adrenergic treatment upregulated EAAT1 protein levels (P<0.05). NMDA receptor (GluN1) expression was stimulated by chronic elevation of IOP, and GluN1-positive cells in ganglion cell layer were co-localized with TUNEL staining. Brimonidine administration suppressed GluN1 levels (P<0.05). These results indicate that brimonidine decreased RGC apoptosis, upregulating EAAT1 and downregulating NMDA receptors. We suggest that topical brimonidine treatment may decrease the glutamate excitotoxicity through modulation of glutamate transporter and NMDA receptor in glaucoma. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cytotoxic effect of γ-sitosterol from Kejibeling (Strobilanthes crispus and its mechanism of action towards c-myc gene expression and apoptotic pathway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susi Endrini

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: This study aimed to analyze the cytotoxicity effect of γ-sitosterol isolated from “Kejibeling” (Strobilanthes crispus, a medicinal plant, on several cancer cell lines. The mechanisms of the effects were studied through the expression of cancer-caused gene, c-myc and apoptotic pathways.Methods: This in vitro study was done using human colon cancer cell lines (Caco-2, liver cancer cell lines (HepG2, hormone-dependent breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and the normal liver cell lines (Chang Liver. The cytotoxic effect was measured through MTT assay and the potential cytotoxic value was calculated by determining the toxic concentration which may kill up to 50% of the total cell used (IC50. Meanwhile, the cytotoxic mechanism was studied by determining the effect of adding γ-sitosterol to the c-myc gene expression by reverse transciptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR. The effect of γ-sitosterol through apoptotic pathway was studied by using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL assay.Results: γ-sitosterol was cytotoxic against Caco-2, HepG2, and MCF-7 with IC50-values of 8.3, 21.8, and 28.8 μg/mL, respectively. There were no IC50-values obtained from this compound against Chang Liver cell line. This compound induced apotosis on Caco-2 and HepG2 cell lines and suppressed the c-myc genes expression in both cells.Conclusion: γ-sitosterol was cytotoxic against colon and liver cancer cell lines and the effect was mediated by down-regulation of c-myc expression and induction of the apoptotic pathways.

Growth-Inhibitory and Apoptosis-Inducing Effects of Punica granatum L. var. spinosa (Apple Punice) on Fibrosarcoma Cell Lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Sineh Sepehr, Koushan; Baradaran, Behzad; Mazandarani, Masoumeh; Yousefi, Bahman; Abdollahpour Alitappeh, Meghdad; Khori, Vahid

2014-12-01

Punica granatum L. var. granatum (Pomegranate), an herbaceous plant found in Iran, The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic effects, induction of apoptosis, and the mechanism of cell death of ethanol extract from Punica granatum L. var. spinosa on the mouse fibrosarcoma cell line, WEHI-164. Various parts of the herbs were extracted from fruit using ethanol as the solvent, and the cytotoxicity and cell viability of the ethanolic extract were determined by the MTT assay. To determine whether necrosis or apoptosis is the predominant cause of cell death, cell death detection was performed using the ELISA method. The induction of apoptosis was confirmed using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase- (TdT-) mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Moreover, a sensitive immunoblotting technique was used to examine the production of Caspase-3 and Bcl2 proteins. Our findings suggested that the ethalonic extract of Punica granatum L. var. spinosa altered cell morphology, decreased cell viability, suppressed cell proliferation and induced cell death in a time- and dose-dependent manner in WEHI-164 cells (IC50 = 229.024μg/ml), when compared to a chemotherapeutic anticancer drug, Toxol (Vesper Pharmaceuticals), with increased nucleosome production from apoptotic cells. Induction of apoptosis by the plant extract was proved by the decrease of pro-Caspase-3 and Bcl2 proteins and quantitatively confirmed by Immunoblotting analysis. The results obtained from the present study have demonstrated the growth-inhibitory effect of Ethanol Extracts from Punica granatum L. var. spinosa, and clearly showed that apoptosis was the major mechanism of in-vitro cell death induced by the extract.

Sirtuin 1 participates in the process of age-related retinal degeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Ying; Yang, Ke

The process of aging involves retinal cell damage that leads to visual dysfunction. Sirtuin (Sirt) 1 can prevent oxidative stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis. In the present study, we measured the expression of Sirt1 as a functional regulator in the retina during the aging process. The visual function and Sirt1 expression in young (1 month) and old (19 months) Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Electroretinogram (ERG) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or Western blotting were performed. Resveratrol, an activator of Sirt1, was orally administered to SD rats at a dose of 5 mg/kg/day for 19 months. The expression of Sirt1, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) was evaluated in the retinas of mice that did and did not receive resveratrol treatment. Apoptosis was detected by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. With decreasing b-wave amplitude, the expression level of Sirt1 was significantly reduced in aged retinas compared to that in young retinas. After 19 months of treatment with resveratrol, the Sirt1 expression level and b-wave amplitude increased. In old rats treated with resveratrol, the expression levels of BDNF and TrkB were up-regulated. Compared to young retinas, the aged retinas exhibited higher apoptosis, but resveratrol delayed this process. Our data demonstrated a reduction of Sirt1 expression during the aging process of the retina, but enhancing Sirt1 expression reversed the degeneration of the retina. These results suggested that increasing Sirt1 expression may protect retinal neurons and visual function via regulating neurotrophin and its receptor. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differential expression of the P2X7 receptor in ovarian surface epithelium during the oestrous cycle in the mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Vázquez-Cuevas, F G; Cruz-Rico, A; Garay, E; García-Carrancá, A; Pérez-Montiel, D; Juárez, B; Arellano, R O

2013-01-01

Purinergic signalling has been proposed as an intraovarian regulatory mechanism. Of the receptors responsible for purinergic transmission, the P2X7 receptor is an ATP-gated cationic channel that displays a broad spectrum of cellular functions ranging from apoptosis to cell proliferation and tumourigenesis. In the present study, we investigated the functional expression of P2X7 receptors in ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). P2X7 protein was detected in the OSE layer of the mouse, both in situ and in primary cultures. In cultures, 2'(3')-O-(4-Benzoylbenzoyl)adenosine-5'-triphosphate (BzATP) activation of P2X7 receptors increased [Ca(2+)]i and induced apoptosis. The functionality of the P2X7 receptor was investigated in situ by intrabursal injection of BzATP on each day of the oestrous cycle and evaluation of apoptosis 24h using the terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-fluorescein nick end-labelling (TUNEL) assay. Maximum effects of BzATP were observed during pro-oestrus, with the effects being blocked by A438079, a specific P2X7 receptor antagonist. Immunofluorescence staining for P2X7 protein revealed more robust expression during pro-oestrus and in OSE regions behind the antral follicles, strongly supporting the notion that the differences in apoptosis can be explained by increased receptor expression, which is regulated during the oestrous cycle. Finally, P2X7 receptor expression was detected in the OSE layer of human ovaries, with receptor expression maintained in human ovaries diagnosed with cancer, as well as in the human ovarian carcinoma SKOV3 cell line.

Chronic type-I diabetes could not impede the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of combined postconditioning with ischemia and cyclosporine A in myocardial reperfusion injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Badalzadeh, Reza; Azimi, Ako; Alihemmati, Alireza; Yousefi, Bahman

2017-02-01

It has been shown that diabetes modifies the myocardial responses to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and to cardioprotective agents. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of combined treatment with ischemic postconditioning (IPostC) and cyclosporine A (CsA) on inflammation and apoptosis of the diabetic myocardium injured by I/R. Eight weeks after induction of diabetes in Wistar rats, hearts were mounted on a Langendorff apparatus and were subsequently subjected to a 30-min regional ischemia followed by 45-min reperfusion. IPostC was induced at the onset of reperfusion, by 3 cycles of 30-s reperfusion/ischemia (R/I). The concentration of creatine kinase (CK), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 were determined; the levels of total and phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (p-GSK3β) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) were quantified by western blotting, and the rate of apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Administration of either IPostC or CsA alone in nondiabetic animals significantly reduced CK, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 concentrations, increased the p-GSK3β and Bcl-2, and decreased the level of apoptosis (P GSK3β and Bcl-2 and decreasing apoptosis and inflammation were restored in comparison with nonpostconditioned diabetic hearts. IPostC or CsA failed to affect apoptosis and inflammation and failed to protect the diabetic myocardium against I/R injury. However, combined administration of IPostC and CsA at reperfusion can protect the diabetic myocardium by decreasing the inflammatory response and apoptosis.

Interference by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin with cultured mouse submandibular gland branching morphogenesis involves reduced epidermal growth factor receptor signaling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiukkonen, Anu; Sahlberg, Carin; Partanen, Anna-Maija; Alaluusua, Satu; Pohjanvirta, Raimo; Tuomisto, Jouko; Lukinmaa, Pirjo-Liisa

2006-01-01

Toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) to mouse embryonic teeth, sharing features of early development with salivary glands in common, involves enhanced apoptosis and depends on the expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. EGF receptor signaling, on the other hand, is essential for salivary gland branching morphogenesis. To see if TCDD impairs salivary gland morphogenesis and if the impairment is associated with EGF receptor signaling, we cultured mouse (NMRI) E13 submandibular glands with TCDD or TCDD in combination with EGF or fibronectin (FN), both previously found to enhance branching morphogenesis. Explants were examined stereomicroscopically and processed to paraffin sections. TCDD exposure impaired epithelial branching and cleft formation, resulting in enlarged buds. The glands were smaller than normal. EGF and FN alone concentration-dependently stimulated or inhibited branching morphogenesis but when co-administered with TCDD, failed to compensate for its effect. TCDD induced cytochrome P4501A1 expression in the glandular epithelium, indicating activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. TCDD somewhat increased epithelial apoptosis as observed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated nick end-labeling method but the increase could not be correlated with morphological changes. The frequency of proliferating cells was not altered. Corresponding to the reduced cleft sites in TCDD-exposed explants, FN immunoreactivity in the epithelium was reduced. The results show that TCDD, comparably with EGF and FN at morphogenesis-inhibiting concentrations, impaired salivary gland branching morphogenesis in vitro. Together with the failure of EGF and FN at morphogenesis-stimulating concentrations to compensate for the effect of TCDD this implies that TCDD toxicity to developing salivary gland involves reduced EGF receptor signaling

Targeting Gene-Viro-Therapy with AFP driving Apoptin gene shows potent antitumor effect in hepatocarcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Kang-Jian

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene therapy and viral therapy are used for cancer therapy for many years, but the results are less than satisfactory. Our aim was to construct a new recombinant adenovirus which is more efficient to kill hepatocarcinoma cells but more safe to normal cells. Methods By using the Cancer Targeting Gene-Viro-Therapy strategy, Apoptin, a promising cancer therapeutic gene was inserted into the double-regulated oncolytic adenovirus AD55 in which E1A gene was driven by alpha fetoprotein promoter along with a 55 kDa deletion in E1B gene to form AD55-Apoptin. The anti-tumor effects and safety were examined by western blotting, virus yield assay, real time polymerase chain reaction, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, Hoechst33342 staining, Fluorescence-activated cell sorting, xenograft tumor model, Immunohistochemical assay, liver function analysis and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling assay. Results The recombinant virus AD55-Apoptin has more significant antitumor effect for hepatocelluar carcinoma cell lines (in vitro than that of AD55 and even ONYX-015 but no or little impair on normal cell lines. Furthermore, it also shows an obvious in vivo antitumor effect on the Huh-7 liver carcinoma xenograft in nude mice with bigger beginning tumor volume till about 425 mm3 but has no any damage on the function of liver. The induction of apoptosis is involved in AD55-Apoptin induced antitumor effects. Conclusion The AD55-Apoptin can be a potential anti-hepatoma agent with remarkable antitumor efficacy as well as higher safety in cancer targeting gene-viro-therapy system.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of carbon-14 labelled antioxidants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deigner, H.P.; Freyberg, C.; Heck, R.

1993-01-01

The syntheses of [ 14 C] labelled antioxidants are described. We developed an efficient synthetic methodology to prepare a series of labelled amides with antioxidant activity, starting from [ 14 C] KCN and alkyl or aryl halides. By a combination of nucleophilic displacement of halides by [ 14 C] cyanide, mediated by ultrasound and subsequent mild and selective enzymatic hydrolysis of the resulting nitriles, labelled carboxylic acids were obtained. Labelled amines were prepared by reduction of the respective nitriles. Availability of [ 14 C] KCN, efficient introduction of the label by ultrasound mediated reaction and selective and mild hydrolysis by commercially available nitrilase (Rhodococcus sp.), makes possible a wide range of applications of this methodology in the synthesis of functionalized labelled compounds. (Author)

The Ku80 carboxy terminus stimulates joining and artemis-mediated processing of DNA ends.

Science.gov (United States)

Weterings, Eric; Verkaik, Nicole S; Keijzers, Guido; Florea, Bogdan I; Wang, Shih-Ya; Ortega, Laura G; Uematsu, Naoya; Chen, David J; van Gent, Dik C

2009-03-01

Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is predominantly mediated by nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) in mammalian cells. NHEJ requires binding of the Ku70-Ku80 heterodimer (Ku70/80) to the DNA ends and subsequent recruitment of the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PK(CS)) and the XRCC4/ligase IV complex. Activation of the DNA-PK(CS) serine/threonine kinase requires an interaction with Ku70/80 and is essential for NHEJ-mediated DSB repair. In contrast to previous models, we found that the carboxy terminus of Ku80 is not absolutely required for the recruitment and activation of DNA-PK(CS) at DSBs, although cells that harbored a carboxy-terminal deletion in the Ku80 gene were sensitive to ionizing radiation and showed reduced end-joining capacity. More detailed analysis of this repair defect showed that DNA-PK(CS) autophosphorylation at Thr2647 was diminished, while Ser2056 was phosphorylated to normal levels. This resulted in severely reduced levels of Artemis nuclease activity in vivo and in vitro. We therefore conclude that the Ku80 carboxy terminus is important to support DNA-PK(CS) autophosphorylation at specific sites, which facilitates DNA end processing by the Artemis endonuclease and the subsequent joining reaction.

Track detection on the cells exposed to high Linear Energy Transfer heavy-ions by Cr-39 plastic and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase(Td T)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehnati, P.; Keshtkar, A.; Mesbahi, A.; Sasaki, H.

2006-01-01

The fatal effect of ionizing radiation on cells depends on Linear Energy Transfer level. The distribution of ionizing radiation is sparse and homogeneous for low Linear Energy Transfer radiations such as X or y, but it is dense and concentrated for high Linear Energy Transfer radiation such as heavy-ions radiation. Materials and Methods: Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) were exposed to 4 Gy Fe-ion 2000 keV/μm. The Cr-39 is a special and sensitive plastic used to verify exact position of heavy-ions traversal. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase is an enzyme labeled with [3 H ] d ATP for detection of cellular DNA damage by autoradiography assay. Results: The track of heavy ions traversals presented by pit size was almost similar for all different doses of radiation. No pits to show the track of traversal were found in 20% of the cell nuclei of the irradiation. Apparently these fractions of cells wave not hit by heavy ions. Conclusion: This study indicated the possible usefulness of both the Cr-39 plastics and DNA labeling with Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase method for evaluating the biological effect of heavy-ions in comparison with low Linear Energy Transfer ionizing radiation

Isozyme-specific fluorescent inhibitor of glutathione s-transferase omega 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Junghyun; Lee, Jae-Jung; Lee, Jun-Seok; Schüller, Andreas; Chang, Young-Tae

2010-05-21

Recently, the glutathione S-transferase omega 1 (GSTO1) is suspected to be involved in certain cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. However, profound investigation on the pathological roles of GSTO1 has been hampered by the lack of specific methods to determine or modulate its activity in biological systems containing other isoforms with similar catalytic function. Here, we report a fluorescent compound that is able to inhibit and monitor the activity of GSTO1. We screened 43 fluorescent chemicals and found a compound (6) that binds specifically to the active site of GSTO1. We observed that compound 6 inhibits GSTO1 by covalent modification but spares other isoforms in HEK293 cells and demonstrated that compound 6 could report the activity of GSTO1 in NIH/3T3 or HEK293 cells by measuring the fluorescence intensity of the labeled amount of GSTO1 in SDS-PAGE. Compound 6 is a useful tool to study GSTO1, applicable as a specific inhibitor and an activity reporter.

Upregulation of Fas-Fas-L (CD95/CD95L)-mediated epithelial apoptosis--a putative role in pouchitis?

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Coffey, J C

2012-02-03

INTRODUCTION: Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) remains the gold standard for patients with refractory ulcerative colitis. Pouchitis causes considerable morbidity in 40% of patients with IPAA. This study examined the role of increased epithelial apoptosis in the etiology of pouchitis. METHODS: Following ethical approval pouch biopsies taken from patients with a history of pouchitis were compared with age-matched controls from patients who were pouchitis free. Apoptosis was detected immunohistochemically using a monoclonal antibody (M30) and terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase (TDT)-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin end labeling (TUNEL). Villous atrophy was assessed histologically and correlated with levels of apoptosis. Epithelial Fas-ligand (L) was also assessed immunohistochemically. RESULTS: A significant increase in TUNEL staining was seen at the epithelial but not at the lamina propria level for known pouchitis patients versus controls (0.091 vs 0.035; P < 0.01). Similarly, epithelial M30 immunoreactivity (0.225 vs 0.082; P < 0.05) and villous atrophy (0.035 vs 0.10; P < 0.05) were significantly increased in pouches with previous pouchitis when compared with normal pouches. Upregulation of Fas-L expression was characteristic of this epithelium. Mononuclear cells were strongly positive for Fas-L. Increased epithelial levels of apoptosis correlated with increased levels of villous atrophy. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest a role for elevated Fas-Fas-L (CD95-CD95L)-mediated epithelial apoptosis in the etiology of pouchitis. Increased levels of villous atrophy may result from increased apoptosis and thereby predispose to infection by otherwise apathogenic organisms.

Siim Nestor soovitab : Jus Fine ja DJ Hype. Mutant ja Nick Luscombe. Kuurorti kogumik / Siim Nestor

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Nestor, Siim, 1974-

2005-01-01

Inglise drum'n'bass-staar DJ Hype 17. märtsil klubis Privé üritusel "Jus' Fine". Inglise diskor Nick Luscombe üritusel "Mutant" 18. märtsil klubis Privé. Plaadifirma Kuurortrecords esitleb 18. märtsil oma uut kogumikplaati Pirita jõe suudmes asuval laeval Monica

An ultrasensitive colorimeter assay strategy for p53 mutation assisted by nicking endonuclease signal amplification.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Zhenyu; Yang, Weiqiang; Zhang, Guiyun; Liu, Qida; Qiu, Bin; Cai, Zongwei; Chen, Guonan

2011-08-28

A novel catalytic colorimetric assay assisted by nicking endonuclease signal amplification (NESA) was developed. With the signal amplification, the detection limit of the p53 target gene can be as low as 1 pM, which is nearly 5 orders of magnitude lower than that of other previously reported colorimetric DNA detection strategies based on catalytic DNAzyme.

Contribution of liver mitochondrial membrane-bound glutathione transferase to mitochondrial permeability transition pores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hossain, Quazi Sohel; Ulziikhishig, Enkhbaatar; Lee, Kang Kwang; Yamamoto, Hideyuki; Aniya, Yoko

2009-01-01

We recently reported that the glutathione transferase in rat liver mitochondrial membranes (mtMGST1) is activated by S-glutathionylation and the activated mtMGST1 contributes to the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pore and cytochrome c release from mitochondria [Lee, K.K., Shimoji, M., Quazi, S.H., Sunakawa, H., Aniya, Y., 2008. Novel function of glutathione transferase in rat liver mitochondrial membrane: role for cytochrome c release from mitochondria. Toxcol. Appl. Pharmacol. 232, 109-118]. In the present study we investigated the effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS), generator gallic acid (GA) and GST inhibitors on mtMGST1 and the MPT. When rat liver mitochondria were incubated with GA, mtMGST1 activity was increased to about 3 fold and the increase was inhibited with antioxidant enzymes and singlet oxygen quenchers including 1,4-diazabicyclo [2,2,2] octane (DABCO). GA-mediated mtMGST1 activation was prevented by GST inhibitors such as tannic acid, hematin, and cibacron blue and also by cyclosporin A (CsA). In addition, GA induced the mitochondrial swelling which was also inhibited by GST inhibitors, but not by MPT inhibitors CsA, ADP, and bongkrekic acid. GA also released cytochrome c from the mitochondria which was inhibited completely by DABCO, moderately by GST inhibitors, and somewhat by CsA. Ca 2+ -mediated mitochondrial swelling and cytochrome c release were inhibited by MPT inhibitors but not by GST inhibitors. When the outer mitochondrial membrane was isolated after treatment of mitochondria with GA, mtMGST1 activity was markedly increased and oligomer/aggregate of mtMGST1 was observed. These results indicate that mtMGST1 in the outer mitochondrial membrane is activated by GA through thiol oxidation leading to protein oligomerization/aggregation, which may contribute to the formation of ROS-mediated, CsA-insensitive MPT pore, suggesting a novel mechanism for regulation of the MPT by mtMGST1

Glutathione S-Transferase of Brown Planthoppers (Nilaparvata lugens) Is Essential for Their Adaptation to Gramine-Containing Host Plants

OpenAIRE

Sun, Xiao-Qin; Zhang, Mao-Xin; Yu, Jing-Ya; Jin, Yu; Ling, Bing; Du, Jin-Ping; Li, Gui-Hua; Qin, Qing-Ming; Cai, Qing-Nian

2013-01-01

Plants have evolved complex processes to ward off attacks by insects. In parallel, insects have evolved mechanisms to thwart these plant defenses. To gain insight into mechanisms that mediate this arms race between plants and herbivorous insects, we investigated the interactions between gramine, a toxin synthesized by plants of the family Gramineae, and glutathione S transferase (GST), an enzyme found in insects that is known to detoxify xenobiotics. Here, we demonstrate that rice (Oryza sati...

Functional analysis and localisation of a delta-class glutathione S-transferase from Sarcoptes scabiei.

Science.gov (United States)

Pettersson, Eva U; Ljunggren, Erland L; Morrison, David A; Mattsson, Jens G

2005-01-01

The mite Sarcoptes scabiei causes sarcoptic mange, or scabies, a disease that affects both animals and humans worldwide. Our interest in S. scabiei led us to further characterise a glutathione S-transferase. This multifunctional enzyme is a target for vaccine and drug development in several parasitic diseases. The S. scabiei glutathione S-transferase open reading frame reported here is 684 nucleotides long and yields a protein with a predicted molecular mass of 26 kDa. Through phylogenetic analysis the enzyme was classified as a delta-class glutathione S-transferase, and our paper is the first to report that delta-class glutathione S-transferases occur in organisms other than insects. The recombinant S. scabiei glutathione S-transferase was expressed in Escherichia coli via three different constructs and purified for biochemical analysis. The S. scabiei glutathione S-transferase was active towards the substrate 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, though the positioning of fusion partners influenced the kinetic activity of the enzyme. Polyclonal antibodies raised against S. scabiei glutathione S-transferase specifically localised the enzyme to the integument of the epidermis and cavities surrounding internal organs in adult parasites. However, some minor staining of parasite intestines was observed. No staining was seen in host tissues, nor could we detect any antibody response against S. scabiei glutathione S-transferase in sera from naturally S. scabiei infected dogs or pigs. Additionally, the polyclonal sera raised against recombinant S. scabiei glutathione S-transferase readily detected a protein from mites, corresponding to the predicted size of native glutathione S-transferase.

Linerless label device and method

KAUST Repository

Binladen, Abdulkari

2016-01-14

This apparatus and method for applying a linerless label to an end user product includes a device with a printer for printing on a face surface of a linerless label, and a release coat applicator for applying a release coat to the face surface of the label; another device including an unwinder unit (103) to unwind a roll of printed linerless label; a belt (108); a glue applicator (102) for applying glue to the belt; a nip roller (106) for contacting and applying pressure to the face surface of the linerless label such that the glue on the belt transfers to the back surface of the linerless label; at least one slitting knife 105) positioned downstream the belt and a rewinder unit (104) positioned downstream the slitting knife; and a third device which die cuts and applies the linerless label to an end user object.

Synergistic and independent actions of multiple terminal nucleotidyl transferases in the 3' tailing of small RNAs in Arabidopsis.

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Xiaoyan Wang

2015-04-01

Full Text Available All types of small RNAs in plants, piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs in animals and a subset of siRNAs in Drosophila and C. elegans are subject to HEN1 mediated 3' terminal 2'-O-methylation. This modification plays a pivotal role in protecting small RNAs from 3' uridylation, trimming and degradation. In Arabidopsis, HESO1 is a major enzyme that uridylates small RNAs to trigger their degradation. However, U-tail is still present in null hen1 heso1 mutants, suggesting the existence of (an enzymatic activities redundant with HESO1. Here, we report that UTP: RNA uridylyltransferase (URT1 is a functional paralog of HESO1. URT1 interacts with AGO1 and plays a predominant role in miRNA uridylation when HESO1 is absent. Uridylation of miRNA is globally abolished in a hen1 heso1 urt1 triple mutant, accompanied by an extensive increase of 3'-to-5' trimming. In contrast, disruption of URT1 appears not to affect the heterochromatic siRNA uridylation. This indicates the involvement of additional nucleotidyl transferases in the siRNA pathway. Analysis of miRNA tailings in the hen1 heso1 urt1 triple mutant also reveals the existence of previously unknown enzymatic activities that can add non-uridine nucleotides. Importantly, we show HESO1 may also act redundantly with URT1 in miRNA uridylation when HEN1 is fully competent. Taken together, our data not only reveal a synergistic action of HESO1 and URT1 in the 3' uridylation of miRNAs, but also independent activities of multiple terminal nucleotidyl transferases in the 3' tailing of small RNAs and an antagonistic relationship between uridylation and trimming. Our results may provide further insight into the mechanisms of small RNA 3' end modification and stability control.

Carnitine palmityl transferase I deficiency

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Al-Aqeel, A. I.; Rashed, M. S.; Ruiter, J. P.; Al-Husseini, H. F.; Al-Amoudi, M. S.; Wanders, R. J.

2001-01-01

Carnitine palmityl transferase I is the key enzyme in the carnitine dependent transport of long chain fatty acids across the mitochondrial inner membrane and its deficiency results in a decrease rate of fatty acids beta-oxidation with decreased energy production. We reported a family of 3 affected

Off-label use of rituximab in autoimmune disease in the Top End of the Northern Territory, 2008-2016.

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Wongseelashote, Sarah; Tayal, Vipin; Bourke, Peter Francis

2018-02-01

Rituximab, an anti-CD20 B-cell depleting monoclonal antibody, is increasingly prescribed off-label for a range of autoimmune diseases. There has not previously been an audit of off-label rituximab use in the Northern Territory, where the majority of patients are Aboriginal. To evaluate retrospectively off-label rituximab use in autoimmune diseases in the Top End of the Northern Territory. We performed a retrospective audit of 8 years of off-label rituximab use at the Royal Darwin Hospital, the sole tertiary referral centre for the Darwin, Katherine and East Arnhem regions. Electronic and paper records were reviewed for demographic information, diagnosis/indication for rituximab, doses, previous/concomitant immunosuppression, clinical outcomes and specific adverse events. Rituximab was prescribed off-label to 66 patients for 24 autoimmune diseases. The majority of patients (62.1%) were Aboriginal and 60.6% female. The most common indications were refractory/relapsing disease despite standard therapies (68.7%) or severe disease with rituximab incorporated into an induction immunosuppressive regimen (19.4%). Systemic lupus erythematosus was the underlying diagnosis in 28.8% of cases. A clinically significant response was demonstrated in 74.2% of cases overall. There were 18 clinically significant infections; however, 13 were in patients receiving concurrent immunosuppressive therapy. There was a total of nine deaths from any cause. Rituximab has been used off-label for a range of autoimmune diseases in this population with a high proportion of Aboriginal patients successfully and safely in the majority of cases. © 2017 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

[3H]uridine uptake by target monolayers as a terminal label in an in vitro cell-mediated cytotoxicity assay

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Smith, G.; Nicklin, S.

1979-01-01

A terminal labelling method is described for measuring cell-mediated cytotoxicity based on the ability of surviving target cells to incorporate [ 3 H]uridine into their RNA precursor pools. Parameters of the system were examined using whole and damaged embryonic mouse fibroblast monolayers. This assay is less laborious than direct cell counting and gives increased sensitivity at low target to effector cell ratios. The labelling time is short and, unlike similar techniques, it allows target cell monolayers to remain intact after completion of the radioassay and available for histological examination. This is important where heterogeneous target populations are employed since it allows assessment of differential cell killing and eliminates the need for duplicate cultures. The assay was used in conjunction with a well defined mouse popliteal lymph node assay to investigate the appearance of cytotoxic cells during a localised graft versus host response. Results showed a direct correlation between proliferative index and the development of highly specific cell-mediated cytotoxicity. (Auth.)

Rhizome extracts of Curcuma zedoaria Rosc induce caspase dependant apoptosis via generation of reactive oxygen species in filarial parasite Setaria digitata in vitro.

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Senathilake, K S; Karunanayake, E H; Samarakoon, S R; Tennekoon, K H; de Silva, E D

2016-08-01

Human lymphatic filariasis (LF) is mainly caused by filarial parasite Wuchereria bancrofti and is the second leading cause of long term and permanent disability in tropical countries. To date, incapability to eliminate long lived adult parasites by current drugs remains the major challenge in the elimination of LF. Hence, in the current study, the efficacy of rhizome extracts of Curcuma zedoaria (a plant traditionally used in Sri Lanka in the management of LF) was evaluated as an effective filaricide in vitro. Sequential solvent extracts of C. zedoaria rhizomes were screened for in vitro antifilarial activity at 0.01-1 mg/mL concentrations by motility inhibition assay and 3-(4, 5 dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay using cattle parasite Setaria digitata as a model organism. Exposure of parasites to hexane and chloroform extracts of C. zedoaria caused a dose dependant reduction in motility and viability of microfilariae (IC50 = 72.42 μg/mL for hexane extract, 191.14 μg/mL for chloroform extract) and adult parasites (IC50 = 77.07 μg/mL for hexane extract, 259.87 μg/mL for chloroform extract). Both extracts were less toxic to human peripheral blood mononuclear cells when compared to filariae. A dose dependant increase in caspase 3/CED 3 and a decrease in total protein content, cyclooxygenase (COX) and protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) activities were observed in adult parasites treated with hexane or chloroform extract. A significant degree of chromatin condensation and apoptotic body formation were also observed in these worms by Hoechst 33342 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining respectively. Dose dependant chromosomal DNA laddering was observed in treated adult worms but not in microfilariae in response to both extracts. Oxidative stress parameters such as reduction in reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and increase in glutathione s transferase (GST

Anticancer Activity of Indian Stingless Bee Propolis: An In Vitro Study

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Milind K. Choudhari

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Indian stingless bee propolis has a complex chemical nature and is reported to possess various medicinal properties. In the present study, anticancer activity of the ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP was explored by testing the cytotoxic and apoptotic effect in four different cancer cell lines, namely, MCF-7 (human breast cancer, HT-29 (human colon adenocarcinoma, Caco-2 (human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma, and B16F1 (murine melanoma, at different concentrations. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay and Trypan blue dye exclusion assay. EEP at a concentration of 250 g/mL exhibited ≥50% mortality in all cell lines tested (i.e., IC50 value. EEP revealed a concentration and time dependent cytotoxic effect. Apoptosis was estimated by differential staining (ethidium bromide/acridine orange and TUNEL (deoxynucleotidyl transferase-dUTP nick end labeling assay. Light microscopy and atomic force microscopy demonstrated morphological features of apoptosis in all the cell lines after treatment with 250 g/mL EEP for 24 h. Thus, early onset of apoptosis is the reason for anticancer activity of Indian stingless bee propolis. Further, the antioxidant potential of Indian stingless bee propolis was demonstrated to substantiate its anticancer activity.

Effect of erythropoietin on acoustically traumatized rat cochlea: an immunohistochemical study.

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Gürgen, Oğuzhan; Gürgen, Seren Gülşen; Kirkim, Günay; Kolatan, Efsun; Gürkan, Selhan; Güvenç, Yeşim; Eskiizmir, Görkem

2014-08-01

To investigate the audiological and histopathological effects of erythropoietin on acoustic overstimulation in rats. Twenty-two male Wistar albino rats were divided into 3 groups: sham group (n = 7), erythropoietin injection group (n = 8), and saline injection group (n = 7). Both erythropoietin and saline injection groups were exposed to white noise (100 decibel [dB] sound pressure level [SPL]) for 3 hours. Auditory brainstem responses were measured before, immediately after, and on the 7th day of noise exposure. All animals were sacrificed on the 7th day and temporal bones were collected. The serial sections of the cochleae were stained by caspase-3 and caspase-9 immunostaining and by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method in order to detect apoptotic cells. In the saline group statistically significant differences were detected between the baseline and immediate postacoustic overstimulation thresholds of click and 6 kHz stimuli. However, when the baseline and immediate postacoustic overstimulation thresholds of click and 6 kHz stimuli were compared in the erythropoietin injection group, no statistically significant difference was determined. Histopathologic evaluations demonstrated that erythropoietin decreased the amount of apoptotic cells in the cochlea. Erythropoietin is likely to prevent the acute threshold changes and decrease the amount of apoptosis in cochlea after acoustic overstimulation in rats.

Apoptosis induction of human endometriotic epithelial and stromal cells by noscapine

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Mohammad Rasoul Khazaei

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Objective(s: Endometriosis is a complex gynecologic disease with unknown etiology. Noscapine has been introduced as a cancer cell suppressor. Endometriosis was considered as a cancer like disorder, The aim of present study was to investigate noscapine apoptotic effect on human endometriotic epithelial and stromal cells in vitro. Materials and Methods:In this in vitro study, endometrial biopsies from endometriosis patients (n=9 were prepared and digested by an enzymatic method (collagenase I, 2 mg/ml. Stromal and epithelial cells were separated by sequential filtration through a cell strainer and ficoll layering. The cells of each sample were divided into five groups: control (0, 10, 25, 50 and 100 micromole/liter (µM concentration of noscapine and were cultured for three different periods of times; 24, 48 and 72 hr. Cell viability was assessed by colorimetric assay. Nitric oxide (NO concentration was measured by Griess reagent. Cell death was analyzed by Acridine Orange (AO–Ethidium Bromide (EB double staining and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL assay. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Results: Viability of endometrial epithelial and stromal cells significantly decreased in 10, 25, 50 and 100 µM noscapine concentration in 24, 48, 72 hr (P

Protective Effects of Soy Oligopeptides in Ultraviolet B-Induced Acute Photodamage of Human Skin

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Bing-rong Zhou

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. We explored the effects of soy oligopeptides (SOP in ultraviolet B- (UVB- induced acute photodamage of human skin in vivo and foreskin ex vivo. Methods. We irradiated the forearm with 1.5 minimal erythemal dose (MED of UVB for 3 consecutive days, establishing acute photodamage of skin, and topically applied SOP. Erythema index (EI, melanin index, stratum corneum hydration, and transepidermal water loss were measured by using Multiprobe Adapter 9 device. We irradiated foreskin ex vivo with the same dose of UVB (180 mJ/cm2 for 3 consecutive days and topically applied SOP. Sunburn cells were detected by using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Apoptotic cells were detected by using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs, p53 protein, Bax protein, and Bcl-2 protein were detected by using immunohistochemical staining. Results. Compared with UVB group, UVB-irradiated skin with topically applied SOP showed significantly decreased EI. Compared with UVB group, topical SOP significantly increased Bcl-2 protein expression and decreased CPDs-positive cells, sunburn cells, apoptotic cells, p53 protein expression, and Bax protein expressions in the epidermis of UVB-irradiated foreskin. Conclusion. Our study demonstrated that topical SOP can protect human skin against UVB-induced photodamage.

Secondhand smoke induces hepatic apoptosis and fibrosis in hamster fetus.

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Huang, Chien-Wei; Horng, Chi-Ting; Huang, Chih-Yang; Cho, Ta-Hsiung; Tsai, Yi-Chang; Chen, Li-Jeng; Hsu, Tsai-Ching; Tzang, Bor-Show

2016-09-01

Secondhand smoke (SHS) is an important health issue worldwide. Inhaling SHS during pregnancy could cause abnormalities in the internal tissues of newborns, which may then impair fetal development and even cause severe intrauterine damage and perinatal death. However, the understanding of cytopathic mechanisms of SHS by maternal passive smoking on fetus liver during pregnancy is still limited. This study analyzed the effects of high-dose SHS (SHSH) on fetus liver using a maternal passive smoking animal model. Experiments showed that hepatic matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling-positive cells were significantly increased in livers from fetuses of hamsters treated with SHSH. Similarly, expressions of both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic molecules were significantly higher in livers from fetuses of hamsters exposed to SHSH. Additionally, significantly increased inflammatory proteins, including transforming growth factor β, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and interleukin 1β, and fibrotic signaling molecules, including phosphorylated Smad2/3, SP1, and α-smooth muscle actin, were observed in the fetus livers from hamsters treated with SHSH. This study revealed that SHSH not only increased apoptosis through intrinsic and extrinsic pathways in the livers of fetuses from hamsters exposed to SHSH but also augmented hepatic fibrosis via Smad2/3 signaling. © The Author(s) 2015.

Melatonin mitigates neomycin-induced hair cell injury in zebrafish.

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Oh, Kyoung Ho; Rah, Yoon Chan; Hwang, Kyu Ho; Lee, Seung Hoon; Kwon, Soon Young; Cha, Jae Hyung; Choi, June

2017-10-01

Ototoxicity due to medications, such as aminoglycosides, is irreversible, and free radicals in the inner ear are assumed to play a major role. Because melatonin has an antioxidant property, we hypothesize that it might mitigate hair cell injury by aminoglycosides. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether melatonin has an alleviative effect on neomycin-induced hair cell injury in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Various concentrations of melatonin were administered to 5-day post-fertilization zebrafish treated with 125 μM neomycin for 1 h. Surviving hair cells within four neuromasts were compared with that of a control group. Apoptosis was assessed via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay. The changes of ultrastructure were confirmed using a scanning electron microscope. Melatonin alleviated neomycin-induced hair cell injury in neuromasts (neomycin + melatonin 100 μM: 13.88 ± 0.91 cells, neomycin only: 7.85 ± 0.90 cells; n = 10, p melatonin for 1 h in SEM findings. Melatonin is effective in alleviating aminoglycoside-induced hair cell injury in zebrafish. The results of this study demonstrated that melatonin has the potential to reduce apoptosis induced by aminoglycosides in zebrafish.

Sperm DNA fragmentation, recurrent implantation failure and recurrent miscarriage

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Carol Coughlan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Evidence is increasing that the integrity of sperm DNA may also be related to implantation failure and recurrent miscarriage (RM. To investigate this, the sperm DNA fragmentation in partners of 35 women with recurrent implantation failure (RIF following in vitro fertilization, 16 women diagnosed with RM and seven recent fathers (control were examined. Sperm were examined pre- and post-density centrifugation by the sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD test and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL assay. There were no significant differences in the age of either partner or sperm concentration, motility or morphology between three groups. Moreover, there were no obvious differences in sperm DNA fragmentation measured by either test. However, whilst on average sperm DNA fragmentation in all groups was statistically lower in prepared sperm when measured by the SCD test, this was not seen with the results from the TUNEL assay. These results do not support the hypothesis that sperm DNA fragmentation is an important cause of RIF or RM, or that sperm DNA integrity testing has value in such patients. It also highlights significant differences between test methodologies and sperm preparation methods in interpreting the data from sperm DNA fragmentation tests.

Retinal protective effects of topically administered agmatine on ischemic ocular injury caused by transient occlusion of the ophthalmic artery

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Hong, S.; Hara, H.; Shimazawa, M.; Hyakkoku, K.; Kim, C.Y.; Seong, G.J.

2012-01-01

Agmatine, an endogenous polyamine and putative neuromodulator, is known to have neuroprotective effects on various neurons in the central nervous system. We determined whether or not topically administered agmatine could reduce ischemic retinal injury. Transient ocular ischemia was achieved by intraluminal occlusion of the middle cerebral artery of ddY mice (30-35 g) for 2 h, which is known to also induce occlusion of the ophthalmic artery. In the agmatine group (N = 6), a 1.0 mM agmatine-containing ophthalmic solution was administered four times daily for 2 weeks before occlusion. In the control group (N = 6), a 0.1% hyaluronic acid ophthalmic solution was instilled at the same times. At 22 h after reperfusion, the eyeballs were enucleated and the retinal sections were stained by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). Transient ocular ischemia induced apoptosis of retinal cells in the entire retinal layer, and topically administered agmatine can significantly reduce this ischemic retinal injury. The proportion of apoptotic cells was definitely decreased (P agmatine application effectively decreases retinal damage in an in vivo ocular ischemic injury model. This implies that agmatine is a good candidate as a direct neuroprotective agent for eyes with ocular ischemic diseases. PMID:22331138

Correlation between Gene Expression and Osteoarthritis Progression in Human.

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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.

Azadirachtin Affects the Growth of Spodoptera litura Fabricius by Inducing Apoptosis in Larval Midgut

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Benshui Shu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Azadirachtin, the environmentally friendly botanical pesticide, has been used as an antifeedant and pest growth regulator in integrated pest management for decades. It has shown strong biological activity against Spodoptera litura, but the mechanism of toxicity remains unclear. The present study showed that azadirachtin inhibited the growth of S. litura larvae, which was resulted by structure destroy and size inhibition of the midgut. Digital gene expression (DGE analysis of midgut suggested that azadirachtin regulated the transcriptional level of multiple unigenes involved in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK and calcium apoptotic signaling pathways. Simultaneously, the expression patterns of some differentially expressed unigenes were verified by quantitative real time-PCR (qRT-PCR. In addition, the enhanced terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL staining, the increased expression of caspase family members and apoptosis-binding motif 1 (IBM1 on both gene and protein level and the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytoplasm were induced in midgut after azadirachtin treatment. These results demonstrated that azadirachtin induced structural alteration in S. litura larval midgut by apoptosis activation. These alterations may affect the digestion and absorption of nutrients and eventually lead to the growth inhibition of larvae.

Protective effect of sulforaphane against retinal degeneration in the Pde6rd10 mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa.

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Kang, Kai; Yu, Minzhong

2017-12-01

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of inherited diseases characterized by the death of rod photoreceptors, followed by the death of cone photoreceptors, progressively leading to partial or complete blindness. Currently no specific treatment is available for RP patients. Sulforaphane (SFN) has been confirmed to be an effective antioxidant in the treatment of many diseases. In this study, we tested the therapeutic effects of SFN against photoreceptor degeneration in Pde6b rd10 mice. rd10 mice and C57/BL6 wild-type (WT) mice were treated with SFN and saline, respectively, from P6 to P20. Electroretinography (ERG), terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling and western blot were tested, respectively, at P21 for the analysis of retinal function, retinal cell apoptosis or death and the protein express of GRP78/BiP (TUNEL) as a marker of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Compared with the saline group, the SFN-treated group showed significantly higher ERG a-wave and b-wave amplitudes, less photoreceptor death, and the downregulation of GRP78/BiP. Our data showed that SFN ameliorated the retinal degeneration of rd10 mice, which is possibly related to the downregulation of GRP78 expression.

Valproic acid induces cutaneous wound healing in vivo and enhances keratinocyte motility.

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Soung-Hoon Lee

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cutaneous wound healing is a complex process involving several signaling pathways such as the Wnt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK signaling pathways. Valproic acid (VPA is a commonly used antiepileptic drug that acts on these signaling pathways; however, the effect of VPA on cutaneous wound healing is unknown. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We created full-thickness wounds on the backs of C3H mice and then applied VPA. After 7 d, we observed marked healing and reduced wound size in VPA-treated mice. In the neo-epidermis of the wounds, β-catenin and markers for keratinocyte terminal differentiation were increased after VPA treatment. In addition, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA, collagen I and collagen III in the wounds were significantly increased. VPA induced proliferation and suppressed apoptosis of cells in the wounds, as determined by Ki67 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL staining analyses, respectively. In vitro, VPA enhanced the motility of HaCaT keratinocytes by activating Wnt/β-catenin, ERK and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase/Akt signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: VPA enhances cutaneous wound healing in a murine model and induces migration of HaCaT keratinocytes.

Hataedock treatment has preventive therapeutic effects for atopic dermatitis through skin barrier protection in Dermatophagoides farinae-induced NC/Nga mice.

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Cha, Ho-Yeol; Ahn, Sang-Hyun; Cheon, Jin-Hong; Park, Sun-Young; Kim, Kibong

2017-07-12

Hataedock treatment is traditionally used for the purpose of preventing the future skin disease by feeding herbal extracts to the newborn in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine. This study investigated the preventive therapeutic effects of Hataedock (HTD) treatment for atopic dermatitis (AD) through skin barrier protection in Dermatophagoides farinae-induced NC/Nga mice. To the HTD treatment group, the extract of Coptis japonica Makino and Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer, which analyzed with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)-fingerprint for quality consistency, was administered orally to the 3-week-old mice before inducing AD. After that, Dermatophagoides farinae was applied except the control group to induce AD-like skin lesions. We confirmed the effects of HTD on morphological changes, protection of skin barrier, regulation of Th2 differentiation, inflammation regulation and induction of apoptosis through histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. HTD effectively reduced edema, angiogenesis and skin lesion. HTD also increased the levels of liver X receptor (LXR) and filaggrin but decreased the level of protein kinase C (PKC) (pprotection of skin barrier. Therefore, HTD may have potential applications for alternative and preventive treatment in the management of AD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Total flavonoid extract from Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. protects rats against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.

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Zhang, Ya; Yuan, Changsheng; Fang, He; Li, Jia; Su, Shanshan; Chen, Wen

2016-09-01

This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of total flavonoid extract from Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. (CTF) against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) using an isolated Langendorff rat heart model. Left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and the maximum rate of rise and fall of LV pressure (±dp/dtmax) were recorded. Cardiac injury was assessed by analyzing lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) released in the coronary effluent. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined. Myocardial inflammation was assessed by monitoring tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. Myocardial infarct size was estimated. Cell morphology was assessed by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Pretreatment with CTF significantly increased the heart rate and increased LVDP, as well as SOD and GSH-Px levels. In addition, CTF pretreatment decreased the TUNEL-positive cell ratio, infarct size, and levels of CK, LDH, MDA, TNF-α, CRP, IL-6, and IL-8. These results suggest that CTF exerts cardio-protective effects against MIRI via anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic activities.

The dyad palindromic glutathione transferase P enhancer binds multiple factors including AP1.

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Diccianni, M B; Imagawa, M; Muramatsu, M

1992-10-11

Glutathione Transferase P (GST-P) gene expression is dominantly regulated by an upstream enhancer (GPEI) consisting of a dyad of palindromically oriented imperfect TPA (12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate)-responsive elements (TRE). GPEI is active in AP1-lacking F9 cells as well in AP1-containing HeLa cells. Despite GPEI's similarity to a TRE, c-jun co-transfection has only a minimal effect on transactivation. Antisense c-jun and c-fos co-transfection experiments further demonstrate the lack of a role for AP1 in GPEI mediated trans-activation in F9 cells, although endogenously present AP1 can influence GPEI in HeLa cells. Co-transfection of delta fosB with c-jun, which forms an inactive c-Jun/delta FosB heterodimer that binds TRE sequences, inhibits GPEI-mediated transcription in AP1-lacking F9 cells as well as AP1-containing HeLa cells. These data suggest novel factor(s) other than AP1 are influencing GPEI. Binding studies reveal multiple nucleoproteins bind to GPEI. These factors are likely responsible for the high level of GPEI-mediated transcription observed in the absence of AP1 and during hepatocarcinogenesis.

Labeling of the retina and optic tectum gangliosides and glycoproteins of chickens in darkness or exposed to light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caputto, R.

1984-01-01

Chickens that received an intraocular injection of 3 H-ManNAc and were exposed to light had more labeled gangliosides in the retina ganglion cell layer and in the contralateral optic tectum than similarly treated animals that remained in darkness. The effect is not due to the turning on or off of the light. The sialyl groups of sialoglycoproteins showed similar effect but the labeling of proteins in chickens that received 3 H-proline did not show significant differences. So far the effect has been obtained only with retina linked to the optic tectum through the optic nerve. If the nerve is severed the effect disappears. The gangliosides GD1a and GT1 are powerful inhibitors of the GM3-N-acetylgalactosaminyl transferase. The main effect of those gangliosides is expressed when they are linked to the membranes containing the enzyme in such a form that they are not released by washing with water. The hypothesis is advanced that the utilization of gangliosides in the nerve ending during the interneuronal transmission produces a small decrease in their concentration that in turn is transmitted backwards to the neuronal perikarya where it accelerates the synthesis of new gangliosides

An aptasensor for staphylococcus aureus based on nicking enzyme amplification reaction and rolling circle amplification.

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Xu, Jingguo; Guo, Jia; Maina, Sarah Wanjiku; Yang, Yumeng; Hu, Yimin; Li, Xuanxuan; Qiu, Jiarong; Xin, Zhihong

2018-05-15

An ultra-sensitive aptamer-based biosensor for the detection of staphylococcus aureus was established by adopting the nicking enzyme amplification reaction (NEAR) and the rolling circle amplification (RCA) technologies. Aptamer-probe (AP), containing an aptamer and a probe sequence, was developed to act as the recognition unit of the biosensor, which was specifically bound to S. aureus. The probe was released from AP and initiated into the subsequent DNA amplification reactions where S. aureus was present, converting the detection of S. aureus to the investigation of probe oligonucleotide. The RCA amplification products contained a G-quadruplex motif and formed a three dimensional structure in presence of hemin. The G4/hemin complex showed horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-mimic activity and catalyzed the chemiluminescence reaction of luminol mediated by H 2 O 2 . The results showed that the established biosensor could detect S. aureus specifically with a good linear correlation at 5-10 4  CFU/mL. The signal values based on NEAR-RCA two-step cycle were boosted acutely, much higher than that relied on one-cycle magnification. The limit of detection (LoD) was determined to be as low as 5 CFU/mL. The established aptasensor exhibited a good discrimination of living against dead S. aureus, and can be applied to detect S. aureus in the food industry. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Depressed Immune Responses and Accelerated Splenic Apoptosis due to Experience of Food Deprivation and Inequality but not Unstable Social Status in Balb/c Mice.

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Aghajani, Marjan; Vaez Mahdavi, Mohammad Reza; Najafabadi, Mohsen Khalili; Ghazanfari, Tooba; Moradi, Fatemeh; Golchoobian, Ravieh; Askari, Hasan; Sanadgol, Nima; Moghaddam, Ehsan Kazemi

2017-01-01

We aimed to show that the immune system is sensitive to the detrimental effects of inequality and social injustice, and splenic vulnerability to apoptosis may also increase. In order of better determination of immune responses to chronic social stress, we implemented food deprivation, food intake inequality, and unstable social status (a change of cage-mate every 3 days) for a period of 14 days in 60 male Balb/c mice. At the end of this stress period, nitric oxide (NO) production by peritoneal adherent cells and the serum concentration of corticosterone were measured. Moreover, the viability of peritoneal adherent cells and spleen lymphocytes was evaluated by MTT assay. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay was done to reveal the TUNEL-reactive apoptotic bodies in the spleen. Our results showed that food deprivation and inequality caused significant changes in the apoptosis of splenic cells in comparison with the control group (p social status did not cause a further increase in the viability of lymphocytes and peritoneal adherent cells, or NO production in animals that were food-deprived or experienced inequality. Serum concentration of corticosterone in all experimental groups, except for animals that experienced unstable social status only, significantly decreased versus the control group (p poverty and social inequality, but not unstable social status, affect immune responses and are likely involved in the induction of splenic apoptosis in mice. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Radiation-induced hyperproliferation of intestinal crypts results in elevated genome instability with inactive p53-related genomic surveillance.

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Zhou, Xin; Ma, Xiaofei; Wang, Zhenhua; Sun, Chao; Wang, Yupei; He, Yang; Zhang, Hong

2015-12-15

Radiation-induced hyperproliferation of intestinal crypts is well documented, but its potential tumorigenic effects remain elusive. Here we aim to determine the genomic surveillance process during crypt hyperproliferation, and its consequential outcome after ionizing radiation. Crypt regeneration in the intestine was induced by a single dose of 12Gy abdominal irradiation. γ-H2AX, 53BP1 and DNA-PKcs were used as DNA repair surrogates to investigate the inherent ability of intestinal crypt cells to recognize and repair double-strand breaks. Ki67 staining and the 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation assay were used to study patterns of cell proliferation in regenerating crypts. Staining for ATM, p53, Chk1 and Chk2 was performed to study checkpoint activation and release. Apoptosis was evaluated through H&E staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (dUTP) nick-end labeling. The ATM-p53 pathway was immediately activated after irradiation. A second wave of DSBs in crypt cells was observed in regenerating crypts, accompanied with significantly increased chromosomal bridges. The p53-related genomic surveillance pathway was not active during the regeneration phase despite DSBs and chromosomal bridges in the cells of regenerating crypts. Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) DSBs repair was involved in the DSBs repair process, as indicated by p-DNA-PKcs staining. Intestinal crypt cells retained hyperproliferation with inactive p53-related genomic surveillance system. NHEJ was involved in the resultant genomic instability during hyperproliferation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An experimental study on the antitumor effect of 131I-17-AAG in vitro and in vivo.

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Wenyong, Tu; Lu, Liu; Daozhen, Chen; Weidong, Yin; Ying, Huang

2009-02-01

To observe the antitumor effect of (131)I-17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin ((131)I-17-AAG) in vitro/in vivo and explore its antitumor mechanism with a view to its potential therapeutic application. (131)I-17-AAG was prepared by the reaction of 17-AAG with Na [(131)I] in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The effects of (131)17-AAG on cell growth inhibition and cell cycle distribution in vitro were studied in BEL-7402 cells lines. Following BEL-7402 tumor implantation by subcutaneous xenografts into nude mice, the reagents were injected through the tail vein, and the tumor volume was measured and analyzed. At the end of the experiment, tumor specimens were processed for histopathological analysis. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) was used to investigate apoptosis. The expression change of Akt2 was tested by Western-blot analysis. Methyl-thiazolyl-tetrazolium assay showed inhibition rates of 27.7 +/- 5.3%, 57.3 +/- 4.3%, and 63.7 +/- 3.1%, in Na(131)I group, 17-AAG group, and (131)I-17-AAG group, respectively. The inhibition rate in the (131)I-17-AAG group differed significantly between N(a131)I group and 17-AAG group (F = 229.49, P AAG group, and (131)I-17-AAG group, respectively. Following infusion for 32 days, the tumor volumes in the (131)I-17-AAG group were significantly smaller than those in the DMSO group (F = 24.18, P AAG inhibited the proliferation of tumor cells and induced apoptosis. The expression of Akt2 in (131)I-17-AAG was significantly lower than that in the DMSO group or (131)I group. (131)I-17-AAG can effectively inhibit the growth of BEL-7402 tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. (131)I-17-AAG is a promising agent for the treatment of BEL-7402 cell tumor.

An experimental study on the antitumor effect of 131I-17-AAG in vitro and in vivo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tu Wenyong; Liu Lu; Chen Daozhen; Huang Ying; Yin Weidong

2009-01-01

The objective of this study was to observe the antitumor effect of 131 I-17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin ( 131 I-17-AAG) in vitro/in vivo and explore its antitumor mechanism with a view to its potential therapeutic application. 131 I-17-AAG was prepared by the reaction of 17-AAG with Na [ 131 I] in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The effects of 131 17-AAG on cell growth inhibition and cell cycle distribution in vitro were studied in BEL-7402 cells lines. Following BEL-7402 tumor implantation by subcutaneous xenografts into nude mice, the reagents were injected through the tail vein, and the tumor volume was measured and analyzed. At the end of the experiment, tumor specimens were processed for histopathological analysis. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) was used to investigate apoptosis. The expression change of Akt2 was tested by Western-blot analysis. Methyl-thiazolyl-tetrazolium assay showed inhibition rates of 27.7±5.3%, 57.3±4.3%, and 63.7±3.1%, in Na 131 I group, 17-AAG group, and 131 I-17-AAG group, respectively. The inhibition rate in the 131 I-17-AAG group differed significantly between Na 131 I group and 17-AAG group (F=229.49, P 131 I group, 17-AAG group, and 131 I-17-AAG group, respectively. Following infusion for 32 days, the tumor volumes in the 131 I-17-AAG group were significantly smaller than those in the DMSO group (F=24.18, P 131 I group (F=20.68, P 131 I-17-AAG inhibited the proliferation of tumor cells and induced apoptosis. The expression of Akt2 in 131 I-17-AAG was significantly lower than that in the DMSO group or 131 I group. 131 I-17-AAG can effectively inhibit the growth of BEL-7402 tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. 131 I-17-AAG is a promising agent for the treatment of BEL-7402 cell tumor. (author)

Roles of inflammation and apoptosis in experimental brain death-induced right ventricular failure.

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Belhaj, Asmae; Dewachter, Laurence; Rorive, Sandrine; Remmelink, Myriam; Weynand, Birgit; Melot, Christian; Galanti, Laurence; Hupkens, Emeline; Sprockeels, Thomas; Dewachter, Céline; Creteur, Jacques; McEntee, Kathleen; Naeije, Robert; Rondelet, Benoît

2016-12-01

Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction remains the leading cause of early death after cardiac transplantation. Methylprednisolone is used to improve graft quality; however, evidence for that remains empirical. We sought to determine whether methylprednisolone, acting on inflammation and apoptosis, might prevent brain death-induced RV dysfunction. After randomization to placebo (n = 11) or to methylprednisolone (n = 8; 15 mg/kg), 19 pigs were assigned to a brain-death procedure. The animals underwent hemodynamic evaluation at 1 and 5 hours after Cushing reflex (i.e., hypertension and bradycardia). The animals euthanized, and myocardial tissue was sampled. This was repeated in a control group (n = 8). At 5 hours after the Cushing reflex, brain death resulted in increased pulmonary artery pressure (27 ± 2 vs 18 ± 1 mm Hg) and in a 30% decreased ratio of end-systolic to pulmonary arterial elastances (Ees/Ea). Cardiac output and right atrial pressure did not change. This was prevented by methylprednisolone. Brain death-induced RV dysfunction was associated with increased RV expression of heme oxygenase-1, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-1 receptor-like (ST)-2, signal transducer and activator of transcription-3, intercellular adhesion molecules-1 and -2, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and neutrophil infiltration, whereas IL-33 expression decreased. RV apoptosis was confirmed by terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated deoxy uridine triphosphate nick-end labeling staining. Methylprednisolone pre-treatment prevented RV-arterial uncoupling and decreased RV expression of TNF-α, IL-1 receptor-like-2, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and neutrophil infiltration. RV Ees/Ea was inversely correlated to RV TNF-α and IL-6 expression. Brain death-induced RV dysfunction is associated with RV activation of inflammation and apoptosis and is partly limited by methylprednisolone. Copyright © 2016

Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Delay Retinal Degeneration in Royal College of Surgeons Rats Through Anti-Apoptotic and VEGF-Mediated Neuroprotective Effects.

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Li, Z; Wang, J; Gao, F; Zhang, J; Tian, H; Shi, X; Lian, C; Sun, Y; Li, W; Xu, J-Y; Li, P; Zhang, J; Gao, Z; Xu, J; Wang, F; Lu, L; Xu, G-T

2016-01-01

Stem cell therapy is a promising therapeutic approach for retinal degeneration (RD). Our study investigated the effects of human adipose derived stem cell (hADSCs) on Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled hADSCs were transplanted subretinally into RCS rats at postnatal (PN) 21 days to explore potential therapeutic effects, while adeno-associated viral vector (AAV2)-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and siVEGF-hADSCs were used to aid the mechanistic dissections. Visual function was evaluated by Electroretinogram (ERG) recording. Potential transdifferentiations were examined by Immunofluorescence (IF) and gene expressions were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Apoptotic retinal cells were detected by Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) assay and the cytokines secreted by hADSCs were measured by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The visual function of RCS rats began to decrease one week after their eyes opened at PN week 3 and almost lost in PN 5 weeks, accompanied by the loss of retinal outer nuclear layer (ONL). Subretinal transplantation of hADSCs significantly improved the visual function 2 weeks after the transplantation and such therapeutic effect persisted up to 8 weeks after the treatment (PN 11 weeks), with 3-4 rows of photoreceptors remained in the ONL and reduced apoptosis. Consistent with these phenotypic changes, the gene expression of rod photoreceptor markers Rhodopsin (Rho), Crx and Opsin (Opn1) in RCS rats showed obvious decreasing trends over time after PN 3 weeks, but were elevated with hADSC treatment. hADSC transplantation also repressed the expressions of Bax, Bak and Caspase 3, but not the expression of anti-apoptotic genes, including Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL. Finally, substantial VEGF, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) secretions from hADSCs were detected, while endogenous

Peroxynitrite induces apoptosis of mouse cochlear hair cells via a Caspase-independent pathway in vitro.

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Cao, Zhixin; Yang, Qianqian; Yin, Haiyan; Qi, Qi; Li, Hongrui; Sun, Gaoying; Wang, Hongliang; Liu, Wenwen; Li, Jianfeng

2017-11-01

Peroxynitrite (ONOO - ) is a potent and versatile oxidant implicated in a number of pathophysiological processes. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of ONOO - on the cultured cochlear hair cells (HCs) of C57BL/6 mice in vitro as well as the possible mechanism underlying the action of such an oxidative stress. The in vitro primary cultured cochlear HCs were subjected to different concentrations of ONOO - , then, the cell survival and morphological changes were examined by immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the apoptosis was determined by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUNT nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, the mRNA expressions of Caspase-3, Caspase-8, Caspase-9, Apaf1, Bcl-2, and Bax were analyzed by RT-PCR, and the protein expressions of Caspase-3 and AIF were assessed by immunofluorescence. This work demonstrated that direct exposure of primary cultured cochlear HCs to ONOO - could result in a base-to-apex gradient injury of HCs in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, ONOO - led to much more losses of outer hair cells than inner hair cells mainly through the induction of apoptosis of HCs as evidenced by TEM and TUNEL assays. The mRNA expressions of Caspase-8, Caspase-9, Apaf1, and Bax were increased and, meanwhile, the mRNA expression of Bcl-2 was decreased in response to ONOO - treatment. Of interesting, the expression of Caspase-3 had no significant change, whereas, the expression alteration of AIF was observed. These results suggested that ONOO - can effectively damage the survival of cochlear HCs via triggering the apoptotic pathway. The findings from this work suggest that ONOO - -induced apoptosis is mediated, at least in part, via a Caspase-independent pathway in cochlear HCs.

Paricalcitol attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation and apoptosis in proximal tubular cells through the prostaglandin E₂ receptor EP4

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Yu Ah Hong

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Vitamin D is considered to exert a protective effect on various renal diseases but its underlying molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. This study aimed to determine whether paricalcitol attenuates inflammation and apoptosis during lipopolysaccharide (LPS-induced renal proximal tubular cell injury through the prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂ receptor EP4. Methods: Human renal tubular epithelial (HK-2 cells were pretreated with paricalcitol (2 ng/mL for 1 hour and exposed to LPS (1 μg/mL. The effects of paricalcitol pretreatment in relation to an EP4 blockade using AH-23848 or EP4 small interfering RNA (siRNA were investigated. Results: The expression of cyclooxygenase-2, PGE₂, and EP4 were significantly increased in LPS-exposed HK-2 cells treated with paricalcitol compared with cells exposed to LPS only. Paricalcitol prevented cell death induced by LPS exposure, and the cotreatment of AH-23848 or EP4 siRNA offset these cell-protective effects. The phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of p65 nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB were decreased and the phosphorylation of Akt was increased in LPS-exposed cells with paricalcitol treatment. AH-23848 or EP4 siRNA inhibited the suppressive effects of paricalcitol on p65 NF-κB nuclear translocation and the activation of Akt. The production of proinflammatory cytokines and the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling-positive cells were attenuated by paricalcitol in LPS exposed HK-2 cells. The cotreatment with an EP4 antagonist abolished these anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects. Conclusion: EP4 plays a pivotal role in anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects through Akt and NF-κB signaling after paricalcitol pretreatment in LPS-induced renal proximal tubule cell injury.

Cell kinetics and genetic instabilities in differentiated type early gastric cancers with different mucin phenotype.

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Shibata, Naomi; Watari, Jiro; Fujiya, Mikihiro; Tanno, Satoshi; Saitoh, Yusuke; Kohgo, Yutaka

2003-01-01

To clarify the biological impact and molecular pathogenesis of cellular phenotype in differentiated-type gastric cancers (DGCs), we investigated cell kinetics and genetic instabilities in early stage of DGCs. A total of 43 early gastric cancers (EGCs) were studied. EGCs were divided into 3 phenotypic categories: gastric (G type, n = 11), ordinary (O type, n = 20), and complete intestinal (CI type, n = 12) based on the combination of HGM, ConA, MUC2, and CD10. Proliferative index (PI), apoptotic index (AI), and p53 overexpression were investigated by immunohistochemical staining with anti-Ki-67, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling method, and p53 antibody, respectively. Using a high-resolution fluorescent microsatellite analysis system, microsatellite instability (MSI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) were examined. Frameshift mutation analysis of transforming growth factor-beta type II receptor (TGF-betaRII) and bcl-2-associated X (BAX) in cancers with MSI was also performed. The mean AI/PI ratio values were 0.04 for G-type, 0.10 for O-type, and 0.13 for CI-type cancers--significantly lower in G type than in O and CI types (P = 0.02 and P = 0.001, respectively). No difference in the incidence of MSI and LOH was seen among the 3 cellular phenotypes. However, the major pattern of MSI, which showed drastic and widely dispersed changes and is related to an increased risk for cancer, was significantly higher in G and O types than in CI type (P cancers. These results indicate that G-type cancers are likely to show more aggressive behaviors than CI-type cancers, and that O-type cancers show the intermediate characteristics of both types. However, the molecular pathogenesis of each phenotypic cancer is not associated with microsatellite alterations. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

Zinc finger protein 139 expression in gastric cancer and its clinical significance.

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Li, Yong; Zhao, Qun; Fan, Li-Qiao; Wang, Li-Li; Tan, Bi-Bo; Leng, Yan-Li; Liu, Yu; Wang, Dong

2014-12-28

To investigate the expression of zinc finger protein 139 (ZNF139) in gastric cancer (GC), and to analyze its clinical significance. A total of 108 patients who were diagnosed with GC and underwent surgery between January 2005 and March 2007 were enrolled in this study. Gastric tumor specimens and paired tumor-adjacent tissues were collected and paraffin-embedded, and the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis were recorded. The expression of ZNF139, Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 were determined by immunohistochemistry, and apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling. SPSS 13.0 software was used for data processing and analyses, and significance was determined at P stage, lymphatic metastasis, and blood vessel invasion (all Ps < 0.05). Patients with overexpression of ZNF139 had a poorer prognosis (P < 0.01), and overexpression of ZNF139 was an independent factor for the prognosis of GC patients by a Cox survival analysis (P = 0.02). A negative relationship between ZNF139 and the apoptosis index was observed (r = -0.686; P < 0.01). The expression of Bcl-2 in GC was stronger than in tumor-adjacent tissues (66.67% vs 41.67%), whereas the expression levels of Bax and caspase-3 were lower in primary tumors (54.63% and 47.22%, respectively) than in tumor-adjacent tissues (73.15% and 73.15%, respectively) (all Ps < 0.05). The expression of ZNF139 negatively correlated with caspase-3 (r = -0.370; P < 0.01). The expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were also negatively correlated (r = -0.231; P = 0.02). The expressions of caspase-3 and Bax protein were positively correlated (r = 0.217; P = 0.024). ZNF139 is related to clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of GC. Furthermore, it is overexpressed and involved in apoptosis in GC tissues by regulating caspase-3.

Oridonin induces apoptosis and senescence in colorectal cancer cells by increasing histone hyperacetylation and regulation of p16, p21, p27 and c-myc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Feng-Hou; Liu, Feng; Zhao, Ying-Zheng; Fang, Yong; Chen, Fang-Yuan; Wu, Ying-Li; Hu, Xiao-Hui; Li, Wei; Liu, Hua; Zhang, Yan-Jie; Guo, Zhu-Ying; Xu, Mang-Hua; Wang, Shi-Ting; Jiang, Bin

2010-01-01

Oridonin, a tetracycline diterpenoid compound, has the potential antitumor activities. Here, we evaluate the antitumor activity and action mechanisms of oridonin in colorectal cancer. Effects of oridonin on cell proliferation were determined by using a CCK-8 Kit. Cell cycle distribution was determined by flow cytometry. Apoptosis was examined by analyzing subdiploid population and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. Senescent cells were determined by senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity analysis. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to examine the changes of mRNA of p16, p21, p27 and c-myc. The concomitant changes of protein expression were analyzed with Western blot. Expression of AcH3 and AcH4 were examined by immunofluorescence staining and Western blots. Effects of oridonin on colony formation of SW1116 were examined by Soft Agar assay. The in vivo efficacy of oridonin was detected using a xenograft colorectal cancer model in nude mice. Oridonin induced potent growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, senescence and colony-forming inhibition in three colorectal cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Daily i.p. injection of oridonin (6.25, 12.5 or 25 mg/kg) for 28 days significantly inhibited the growth of SW1116 s.c. xenografts in BABL/C nude mice. With western blot and reverse transcription-PCR, we further showed that the antitumor activities of oridonin correlated with induction of histone (H3 and H4) hyperacetylation, activation of p21, p27 and p16, and suppression of c-myc expression. Oridonin possesses potent in vitro and in vivo anti-colorectal cancer activities that correlated with induction of histone hyperacetylation and regulation of pathways critical for maintaining growth inhibition and cell cycle arrest. Therefore, oridonin may represent a novel therapeutic option in colorectal cancer treatment

Effects of hepatitis B virus S protein exposure on sperm membrane integrity and functions.

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XiangJin Kang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B is a public health problem worldwide. Viral infection can affect a man's fertility, but only scant information about the influence of hepatitis B virus (HBV infection on sperm quality is available. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of hepatitis B virus S protein (HBs on human sperm membrane integrity and functions. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Reactive oxygen species (ROS, lipid peroxidation (LP, total antioxidant capacity (TAC and phosphatidylserine (PS externalization were determined. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL assays and flow cytometric analyses were performed. (1 After 3 h incubation with 25 µg/ml of HBs, the average rates of ROS positive cells, annexin V-positive/propidium iodide (PI-negative cells, Caspases-3,-8,-9 positive cells and TUNEL-positive cells were significantly increased in the test groups as compared to those in the control groups, while TAC level was decreased when compared with the control. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA in the sperm cells exposed to 50 µg/ml of HBs for 3 h was significantly higher than that in the control (P<0.05-0.01. (2 HBs increased the MDA levels and the numbers of ROS positive cells, annexin V-positive/PI-negative cells, caspases-3, -8, -9 positive cells and TUNEL-positive cells in a dose-dependent manner. (3 HBs monoclonal antibody (MAb and N-Acetylcysteine (NAC reduced the number of ROS-positive sperm cells. (4 HBs decreased the TAC levels in sperm cells in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: HBs exposure could lead to ROS generation, lipid peroxidation, TAC reduction, PS externalization, activation of caspases, and DNA fragmentation, resulting in increased apoptosis of sperm cells and loss of sperm membrane integrity and causing sperm dysfunctions.

Selective Cannabinoid 2 Receptor Stimulation Reduces Tubular Epithelial Cell Damage after Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

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Pressly, Jeffrey D; Mustafa, Suni M; Adibi, Ammaar H; Alghamdi, Sahar; Pandey, Pankaj; Roy, Kuldeep K; Doerksen, Robert J; Moore, Bob M; Park, Frank

2018-02-01

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI), which is an increasing problem in the clinic and has been associated with elevated rates of mortality. Therapies to treat AKI are currently not available, so identification of new targets that can be modulated to ameliorate renal damage upon diagnosis of AKI is essential. In this study, a novel cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) agonist, SMM-295 [3'-methyl-4-(2-(thiophen-2-yl)propan-2-yl)biphenyl-2,6-diol], was designed, synthesized, and tested in vitro and in silico. Molecular docking of SMM-295 into a CB2 active-state homology model showed that SMM-295 interacts well with key amino acids to stabilize the active state. In human embryonic kidney 293 cells, SMM-295 was capable of reducing cAMP production with 66-fold selectivity for CB2 versus cannabinoid receptor 1 and dose-dependently increased mitogen-activated protein kinase and Akt phosphorylation. In vivo testing of the CB2 agonist was performed using a mouse model of bilateral IRI, which is a common model to mimic human AKI, where SMM-295 was immediately administered upon reperfusion of the kidneys after the ischemia episode. Histologic damage assessment 48 hours after reperfusion demonstrated reduced tubular damage in the presence of SMM-295. This was consistent with reduced plasma markers of renal dysfunction (i.e., creatinine and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) in SMM-295-treated mice. Mechanistically, kidneys treated with SMM-295 were shown to have elevated activation of Akt with reduced terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated digoxigenin-deoxyuridine nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells compared with vehicle-treated kidneys after IRI. These data suggest that selective CB2 receptor activation could be a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of AKI. Copyright © 2018 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Correlative study of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and histopathology in a neonatal piglet model of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xiaoming; Guo Qiyong; Lin Nan; Ding Changwei; Wang Shuxuan; Chen Liying; Lv Qingjie; Jiang Weiguo

2005-01-01

Objective: To evaluate proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS) in the diagnosis of hypoxic ischemic brain damage (HIBD) in hyperacute period using an animal model. Methods: Twenty-five term piglets at the age of 3 to 7 days were subjected and divided into one control group (n=5) and two experimental groups. 1 H spectrum curve was measured continuously in all cases at 0-6, 20-24, 44-48, and 68-72 h after hypoxic ischemia in frontoparietal region, basal ganglia, and hippocampus. Lac/Cr was calculated. Histopathologic examination included hematoxylin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) stain, teminal transferase mediated dUTP-biotin nick- end eosin (HE) stain, labeling (TUNEL) stain, and transmission electron microscope. Results: Lac/Cr in hippocampus region was 0.95 ± 0.88 in control group compared with 5.65 ± 1.93 in model group 1 and 8.93 ± 6.95 in model group 2. Model group 1 showed significantly glial cells swelling in hippocampus region on histopathologic examination. Model group 2 showed neurons and glial cells swelling significantly in hippocampus, and prominent apoptosis was seen in the peripheral neurons and glial cells. Further more Lac/Cr remained high within 72 h. Lac /Cr was 0.41 ± 0.03 in basal ganglia in control group compared with no significant elevation in model group 1 and 13.59 ± 10.23 in model group 2. Model group 1 did not show significant neuron and glial cell pathological changes in basal ganglia. Model group 2 showed obvious glial cell swelling, while neurons changed mildly. Lac/Cr was high within 48 h, and then declined. Lac/Cr in frontoparietal region also increased, but the value was lower than the former two regions. Conclusion: Neurons have an acute energy consumption after hypoxic ischemia, and Lac/Cr reflectes the extent of lesions correctly. (authors)

Microvesicles derived from human Wharton's Jelly mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate ischemia-reperfusion-induced renal fibrosis by releasing from G2/M cell cycle arrest.

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Chen, Wenxia; Yan, Yongbin; Song, Chundong; Ding, Ying; Du, Tao

2017-12-14

Studies have demonstrated that microvesicles (MVs) derived from human Wharton's Jelly mesenchymal stromal cells (hWJMSCs) could ameliorate renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI); however, the underlying mechanisms were not clear yet. Here, MVs were isolated and injected intravenously into rats immediately after ischemia of the left kidney, and Erk1/2 activator hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) or inhibitor U0126 was administrated. Tubular cell proliferation and apoptosis were identified by Ki67 or terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling immunostaining. Masson's tri-chrome straining and alpha-smooth muscle actin staining were used for assessing renal fibrosis. The mRNA or protein expression in the kidney was measured by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR or Western blot, respectively. The total collagen concentration was also determined. In vitro , NRK-52E cells that treated with MVs under hypoxia injury and with HGF or U0126 administration were used, and cell cycle analysis was performed. The effects of hWJMSC-MVs on enhancing the proliferation and mitigating the apoptosis of renal cells, abrogating IRI-induced fibrosis, improving renal function, decreasing collagen deposition, and altering the expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cell cycle-related proteins in IRI rats were found. In vitro experiment showed that hWJMSC-MVs could induce G2/M cell cycle arrest and decrease the expression of collagen deposition-related proteins in NRK-52E cells after 24 or 48 h. However, U0126 treatment reversed these effects. In conclusion, MVs derived from hWJMSCs ameliorate IR-induced renal fibrosis by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest via Erk1/2 signaling. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Gene expression analysis of the rat testis after treatment with di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate using cDNA microarray and real-time RT-PCR

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Kijima, Kazuyasu; Toyosawa, Kaoru; Yasuba, Masashi; Matsuoka, Nobuo; Adachi, Tetsuya; Komiyama, Masatoshi; Mori, Chisato

2004-01-01

To investigate the effects of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) on gene expression in rat testis, 6-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were given a single oral dose of 20 or 2000 mg/kg and euthanized 3, 6, 24, or 72 h thereafter. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells were significantly increased in the testis at 24 and 72 h after the exposure to 2000 mg/kg of DEHP. On cDNA microarray analysis, in addition to apoptosis-related genes, genes associated with atrophy, APEX nuclease, MutS homologue (E. coli), testosterone-repressed-prostatic-message-2 (TRPM-2), connective tissue growth factor, collagen alpha 2 type V, and cell adhesion kinase were differentially expressed. To investigate the relationship between histopathological alteration and gene expression, we selected genes associated with apoptosis and analyzed their expression by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). With 20 mg/kg of DEHP treatment, bcl-2, key gene related to apoptosis, was increased. Up-regulation of bcl-2, inhibitor of Apaf-1/caspase-9/caspase-2 cascade of apoptosis, may be related to the fact that no morphological apoptotic change was induced after dosing of 20 mg/kg DEHP. With 2000 mg/kg of DEHP treatment, the apoptotic activator cascade, Fas/FasL, FADD/caspase-8/caspase-3 cascade, and Apaf-1/caspase-9/caspase-2 cascade were increased and bcl-2 was decreased. Thus, these gene regulations might lead the cells into apoptosis in the case of high exposure to DEHP. In contrast, FADD/caspase-10/caspase-6 cascade and caspase-11/caspase-3 cascade were not increased. These results indicate that the cascades of FADD/caspase-10/caspase-6 and caspase-11/caspase-3 are not related to apoptosis with DEHP treatment

Assessment of the proliferative, apoptotic and cellular renovation indices of the human mammary epithelium during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Navarrete, Maria Alicia H; Maier, Carolina M; Falzoni, Roberto; Quadros, Luiz Gerk de Azevedo; Lima, Geraldo R; Baracat, Edmund C; Nazário, Afonso CP

2005-01-01

During the menstrual cycle, the mammary gland goes through sequential waves of proliferation and apoptosis. In mammary epithelial cells, hormonal and non-hormonal factors regulate apoptosis. To determine the cyclical effects of gonadal steroids on breast homeostasis, we evaluated the apoptotic index (AI) determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining in human mammary epithelial cells during the spontaneous menstrual cycle and correlated it with cellular proliferation as determined by the expression of Ki-67 during the same period. Normal breast tissue samples were obtained from 42 randomly selected patients in the proliferative (n = 21) and luteal (n = 21) phases. Menstrual cycle phase characterization was based on the date of the last and subsequent menses, and on progesterone serum levels obtained at the time of biopsy. The proliferation index (PI), defined as the number of Ki-67-positive nuclei per 1,000 epithelial cells, was significantly larger in the luteal phase (30.46) than in the follicular phase (13.45; P = 0.0033). The AI was defined as the number of TUNEL-positive cells per 1,000 epithelial cells. The average AI values in both phases of the menstrual cycle were not statistically significant (P = 0.21). However, the cell renewal index (CRI = PI/AI) was significantly higher in the luteal phase (P = 0.033). A significant cyclical variation of PI, AI and CRI was observed. PI and AI peaks occurred on about the 24th day of the menstrual cycle, whereas the CRI reached higher values on the 28th day. We conclude that proliferative activity is dependent mainly on hormonal fluctuations, whereas apoptotic activity is probably regulated by hormonal and non-hormonal factors

Fentanyl Ameliorates Severe Acute Pancreatitis-Induced Myocardial Injury in Rats by Regulating NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

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Wang, Yayun; Chen, Manhua

2017-07-06

BACKGROUND Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas. It results in multiple, severe complications, and 15-20% of patients develop severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) with mortality as high as 30%. Consequently, it is imperative to develop an effective therapy for SAP. MATERIAL AND METHODS We used 30 adult male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Rats were randomly divided into 3 groups - sham, SAP, and fentanyl+SAP - with 10 rats in each group. An automatic biochemical analyzer was used to analyze the concentration of creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay was applied to assess the cell apoptosis rate. Pathological changes in pancreas/heart were detected with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Western immunoblot assay was used to analyze protein levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IκB. RESULTS Fentanyl pre-treatment inhibits SAP-induced elevation of CK-MB/LDH concentrations in serum. Compared with the sham group, SAP generates a higher brown/yellow staining rate, which is abated by fentanyl. In the pancreas, SAP generated more serious interstitial edema/hemorrhage and fat necrosis than in the sham group, which are attenuated by fentanyl. Likewise, compared to the sham group, SAP generates swelled/disordered myocardial fibers and congested blood vessels in myocardium, which are ameliorated by fentanyl. In the sham group, there was little IL-1β/IL-6, and fentanyl significantly inhibited SAP-induced up-regulation of IL-1β/IL-6 levels. Compared with the sham group, SAP significantly reduced IκB level, which was rescued by fentanyl. CONCLUSIONS Fentanyl effectively alleviates SAP-induced pancreas and heart injuries through regulating the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway.

Effects of Acute Systemic Hypoxia and Hypercapnia on Brain Damage in a Rat Model of Hypoxia-Ischemia.

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Wanchao Yang

Full Text Available Therapeutic hypercapnia has the potential for neuroprotection after global cerebral ischemia. Here we further investigated the effects of different degrees of acute systemic hypoxia in combination with hypercapnia on brain damage in a rat model of hypoxia and ischemia. Adult wistar rats underwent unilateral common carotid artery (CCA ligation for 60 min followed by ventilation with normoxic or systemic hypoxic gas containing 11%O2,13%O2,15%O2 and 18%O2 (targeted to PaO2 30-39 mmHg, 40-49 mmHg, 50-59 mmHg, and 60-69 mmHg, respectively or systemic hypoxic gas containing 8% carbon dioxide (targeted to PaCO2 60-80 mmHg for 180 min. The mean artery pressure (MAP, blood gas, and cerebral blood flow (CBF were evaluated. The cortical vascular permeability and brain edema were examined. The ipsilateral cortex damage and the percentage of hippocampal apoptotic neurons were evaluated by Nissl staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL assay as well as flow cytometry, respectively. Immunofluorescence and western blotting were performed to determine aquaporin-4 (AQP4 expression. In rats treated with severe hypoxia (PaO2 50 mmHg, hypercapnia protected against these pathophysiological changes. Moreover, hypercapnia treatment significantly reduced brain damage in the ischemic ipsilateral cortex and decreased the percentage of apoptotic neurons in the hippocampus after the CCA ligated rats were exposed to mild or moderate hypoxemia (PaO2 > 50 mmHg; especially under mild hypoxemia (PaO2 > 60 mmHg, hypercapnia significantly attenuated the expression of AQP4 protein with brain edema (p < 0.05. Hypercapnia exerts beneficial effects under mild to moderate hypoxemia and augments detrimental effects under severe hypoxemia on brain damage in a rat model of hypoxia-ischemia.

PEG-b-PCL polymeric nano-micelle inhibits vascular angiogenesis by activating p53-dependent apoptosis in zebrafish.

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Zhou, Tian; Dong, Qinglei; Shen, Yang; Wu, Wei; Wu, Haide; Luo, Xianglin; Liao, Xiaoling; Wang, Guixue

Micro/nanoparticles could cause adverse effects on cardiovascular system and increase the risk for cardiovascular disease-related events. Nanoparticles prepared from poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)- b -poly( ε -caprolactone) (PCL), namely PEG- b -PCL, a widely studied biodegradable copolymer, are promising carriers for the drug delivery systems. However, it is unknown whether polymeric PEG- b -PCL nano-micelles give rise to potential complications of the cardiovascular system. Zebrafish were used as an in vivo model to evaluate the effects of PEG- b -PCL nano-micelle on cardiovascular development. The results showed that PEG- b -PCL nano-micelle caused embryo mortality as well as embryonic and larval malformations in a dose-dependent manner. To determine PEG- b -PCL nano-micelle effects on embryonic angiogenesis, a critical process in zebrafish cardiovascular development, growth of intersegmental vessels (ISVs) and caudal vessels (CVs) in flk1-GFP transgenic zebrafish embryos using fluorescent stereomicroscopy were examined. The expression of fetal liver kinase 1 (flk1), an angiogenic factor, by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and in situ whole-mount hybridization were also analyzed. PEG- b -PCL nano-micelle decreased growth of ISVs and CVs, as well as reduced flk1 expression in a concentration-dependent manner. Parallel to the inhibitory effects on angiogenesis, PEG- b -PCL nano-micelle exposure upregulated p53 pro-apoptotic pathway and induced cellular apoptosis in angiogenic regions by qPCR and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) apoptosis assay. This study further showed that inhibiting p53 activity, either by pharmacological inhibitor or RNA interference, could abrogate the apoptosis and angiogenic defects caused by PEG- b -PCL nano-micelles, indicating that PEG- b -PCL nano-micelle inhibits angiogenesis by activating p53-mediated apoptosis. This study indicates that polymeric PEG- b -PCL nano-micelle could

The 1-Tosylpentan-3-one Protects against 6-Hydroxydopamine-Induced Neurotoxicity

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Chien-Jen Kao

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have demonstrated that the marine compound austrasulfone, isolated from the soft coral Cladiella australis, exerts a neuroprotective effect. The intermediate product in the synthesis of austrasulfone, dihydroaustrasulfone alcohol, attenuates several inflammatory responses. The present study uses in vitro and in vivo methods to investigate the neuroprotective effect of dihydroaustrasulfone alcohol-modified 1-tosylpentan-3-one (1T3O. Results from in vitro experiments show that 1T3O effectively inhibits 6-hydroxydopamine-induced (6-OHDA-induced activation of both p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK and caspase-3 in SH-SY5Y cells; and enhances nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1 expression via phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K/protein kinase B (Akt signaling. Hoechst staining and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL staining results reveal that 1T3O significantly inhibits 6-OHDA-induced apoptosis. In addition, the addition of an Akt or HO-1 inhibitor decreases the protective effect of 1T3O. Thus, we hypothesize that the anti-apoptotic activity of 1T3O in neuronal cells is mediated through the regulation of the Akt and HO-1 signaling pathways. In vivo experiments show that 1T3O can reverse 6-OHDA-induced reduction in locomotor behavior ability in zebrafish larvae, and inhibit 6-OHDA-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α increase at the same time. According to our in vitro and in vivo results, we consider that 1T3O exerts its anti-apoptotic activities at SH-SY5Y cells after 6-OHDA challenges, probably via the regulation of anti-oxidative signaling pathways. Therefore, this compound may be a promising therapeutic agent for neurodegenerations.

Oridonin induces apoptosis and senescence in colorectal cancer cells by increasing histone hyperacetylation and regulation of p16, p21, p27 and c-myc

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Zhao Ying-Zheng

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Oridonin, a tetracycline diterpenoid compound, has the potential antitumor activities. Here, we evaluate the antitumor activity and action mechanisms of oridonin in colorectal cancer. Methods Effects of oridonin on cell proliferation were determined by using a CCK-8 Kit. Cell cycle distribution was determined by flow cytometry. Apoptosis was examined by analyzing subdiploid population and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. Senescent cells were determined by senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity analysis. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to examine the changes of mRNA of p16, p21, p27 and c-myc. The concomitant changes of protein expression were analyzed with Western blot. Expression of AcH3 and AcH4 were examined by immunofluorescence staining and Western blots. Effects of oridonin on colony formation of SW1116 were examined by Soft Agar assay. The in vivo efficacy of oridonin was detected using a xenograft colorectal cancer model in nude mice. Results Oridonin induced potent growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, senescence and colony-forming inhibition in three colorectal cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Daily i.p. injection of oridonin (6.25, 12.5 or 25 mg/kg for 28 days significantly inhibited the growth of SW1116 s.c. xenografts in BABL/C nude mice. With western blot and reverse transcription-PCR, we further showed that the antitumor activities of oridonin correlated with induction of histone (H3 and H4 hyperacetylation, activation of p21, p27 and p16, and suppression of c-myc expression. Conclusion Oridonin possesses potent in vitro and in vivo anti-colorectal cancer activities that correlated with induction of histone hyperacetylation and regulation of pathways critical for maintaining growth inhibition and cell cycle arrest. Therefore, oridonin may represent a novel therapeutic option in colorectal cancer treatment.

Human lactoferrin stimulates skin keratinocyte function and wound re-epithelialization.

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Tang, L; Wu, J J; Ma, Q; Cui, T; Andreopoulos, F M; Gil, J; Valdes, J; Davis, S C; Li, J

2010-07-01

Human lactoferrin (hLF), a member of the transferrin family, is known for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. Recent studies on various nonskin cell lines indicate that hLF may have a stimulatory effect on cell proliferation. To study the potential role of hLF in wound re-epithelialization. The effects of hLF on cell growth, migration, attachment and survival were assessed, with a rice-derived recombinant hLF (holo-rhLF), using proliferation analysis, scratch migration assay, calcein-AM/propidium iodide staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) method, respectively. The mechanisms of hLF on cell proliferation and migration were explored using specific pathway inhibitors. The involvement of lactoferrin receptor low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) was examined with RNA interference technique. An in vivo swine second-degree burn wound model was also used to assess wound re-epithelialization. Studies revealed that holo-rhLF significantly stimulated keratinocyte proliferation which could be blocked by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase 1 inhibitor. Holo-rhLF also showed strong promoting effects on keratinocyte migration, which could be blocked by either inhibition of the MAPK, Src and Rho/ROCK pathways, or downregulation of the LRP1 receptor. With cells under starving or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate exposure, the addition of holo-rhLF was found greatly to increase cell viability and inhibit cell apoptosis. Additionally, holo-rhLF significantly increased the rate of wound re-epithelialization in swine second-degree burn wounds. Our studies demonstrate the direct effects of holo-rhLF on wound re-epithelialization including the enhancement of keratinocyte proliferation and migration as well as the protection of cells from apoptosis. The data strongly indicate its potential therapeutic applications in wound healing.

The Protective Effect of Spinal Cord Stimulation Postconditioning Against Spinal Cord Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rabbits.

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Li, Huixian; Dong, Xiuhua; Jin, Mu; Cheng, Weiping

2018-01-18

Delayed paraplegia due to spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) remains one of the most severe complications of thoracoabdominal aneurysm surgery, for which effective prevention and treatment is still lacking. The current study investigates whether spinal cord stimulation (SCS) postconditioning has neuroprotective effects against spinal cord IRI. Ninety-six New Zealand white male rabbits were randomly divided into four groups as follows: a sham group and three experimental groups (C group, 2 Hz group, and 50 Hz group) n = 24/group. Spinal cord ischemia was induced by transient infrarenal aortic balloon occlusion for 28 min, after which rabbits in group C underwent no additional intervention, while rabbits in the other two experimental groups underwent 2 Hz or 50 Hz epidural SCS for 30 min at the onset of reperfusion and then daily until sacrifice. Hind limb neurologic function of rabbits was assessed using Jacob scale. Lumbar spinal cords were harvested immediately after sacrifice for histological examination and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The number of viable α-motor neurons in ventral horn was counted and TUNEL-positive rate of α-motor neurons was calculated. Spinal cord IRI was caused by transient infrarenal aorta occlusion for 28 min. Both 2 Hz and 50 Hz SCS postconditioning had neuroprotective effects, particularly the 2 Hz SCS postconditioning. Comparing to C group and 50 Hz group, rabbits in the 2 Hz group demonstrated better hind limb motor function and a lower rate of TUNEL-positive α-motor neuron after eight hours, one day, three days, and seven days of spinal cord reperfusion. More viable α-motor neurons were preserved after one and three days of spinal cord reperfusion in 2 Hz group rabbits than in C group and 50 Hz group rabbits. SCS postconditioning at 2 Hz protected the spinal cord from IRI. © 2018 International Neuromodulation Society.

Anatase titanium dioxide nanoparticles in mice: evidence for induced structural and functional sperm defects after short-, but not long-, term exposure

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Michelle A Smith

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 nanoparticles (TNPs are widely used commercially and exist in a variety of products. To determine if anatase TNPs (ATNPs in doses smaller than previously used reach the scrotum after entry in the body at a distant location and induce sperm defects, 100% ATNP (2.5 or 5 mg kg−1 body weight was administered intraperitoneally to adult males for three consecutive days, followed by sacrifice 1, 2, 3, or 5 weeks later (long- or 24, 48 or 120 h (short-term exposure. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of ANTP in scrotal adipose tissues collected 120 h postinjection when cytokine evaluation showed an inflammatory response in epididymal tissues and fluid. At 120 h and up to 3 weeks postinjection, testicular histology revealed enlarged interstitial spaces. Significantly increased numbers of terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive (apoptotic germ (P = 0.002 and interstitial space cells (P = 0.04 were detected in treated males. Caudal epididymal sperm from the short-term, but not a long-term, arm showed significantly (P < 0.001 increased frequencies of flagellar abnormalities, excess residual cytoplasm (ERC, and unreacted acrosomes in treated versus controls (dose-response relationship. A novel correlation between ERC and unreacted acrosomes was uncovered. At 120 h, there were significant decreases in hyperactivated motility (P < 0.001 and mitochondrial membrane potential (P < 0.05, and increased reactive oxygen species levels (P < 0.00001 in treated versus control sperm. These results indicate that at 4-8 days postinjection, ANTP induce structural and functional sperm defects associated with infertility, and DNA damage via oxidative stress. Sperm defects were transient as they were not detected 10 days to 5 weeks postinjection.

Inducible nitric oxide synthase, nitrotyrosine and apoptosis in gastric adenocarcinomas and their correlation with a poor survival

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Li, Long-Gang; Xu, Hui-Mian

2005-01-01

AIM: To detect the presence of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nitrotyrosine (NT) and apoptosis in gastric adenocarcinomas and their possible correlations with the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of gastric adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Sixty-six specimens of gastric adenocarcinoma and corresponding adjacent normal gastric tissues were studied. Immunohistochemistry was employed to localize iNOS and NT protein and an immunohistochemical scoring system was used. The occurrence of apoptotic cell death (apoptotic index [AI]) was analyzed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate biotin nick-end labeling (TUNEL) method. RESULTS: Results showed that iNOS expression was detected at an intermediate or high level in 41 of 66 (62%) specimens of gastric adenocarcinoma. NT expression was 58%. Neither of them was found in the normal gastric tissues; there were significant positive correlations among iNOS expression, NT expression and AI. Many clinicopathologic characteristics of gastric adenocarcinoma, such as tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and TNM staging, were related to iNOS and NT expressions (P<0.05). In 66 surviving patients, the 5-year survival rate of 41 patients who had tumors with intermediate or high iNOS expressions and high AIs (4.09%; 19.96%) was significantly lower than that of 25 patients who had tumors with negative or low iNOS expressions and low AIs (0.79%; 47.14%) (P = 0.001). COX’s multivariate analysis revealed that the iNOS expression was identified as one of the significant independent prognostic factors predictive of a poor survival (relative risk [RR] = 2.69). CONCLUSION: NO produced by iNOS may play a stronger role in promoting gastric adenocarcinoma growth than in suppressing its growth. iNOS and NT expressions by gastric adenocarcinoma may correlate with a poor survival. PMID:15849807

Anatase titanium dioxide nanoparticles in mice: evidence for induced structural and functional sperm defects after short-, but not long-, term exposure

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Smith, Michelle A; Michael, Rowan; Aravindan, Rolands G; Dash, Soma; Shah, Syed I; Galileo, Deni S; Martin-DeLeon, Patricia A

2015-01-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (TNPs) are widely used commercially and exist in a variety of products. To determine if anatase TNPs (ATNPs) in doses smaller than previously used reach the scrotum after entry in the body at a distant location and induce sperm defects, 100% ATNP (2.5 or 5 mg kg−1 body weight) was administered intraperitoneally to adult males for three consecutive days, followed by sacrifice 1, 2, 3, or 5 weeks later (long-) or 24, 48 or 120 h (short-term exposure). Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of ANTP in scrotal adipose tissues collected 120 h postinjection when cytokine evaluation showed an inflammatory response in epididymal tissues and fluid. At 120 h and up to 3 weeks postinjection, testicular histology revealed enlarged interstitial spaces. Significantly increased numbers of terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive (apoptotic) germ (P = 0.002) and interstitial space cells (P = 0.04) were detected in treated males. Caudal epididymal sperm from the short-term, but not a long-term, arm showed significantly (P < 0.001) increased frequencies of flagellar abnormalities, excess residual cytoplasm (ERC), and unreacted acrosomes in treated versus controls (dose-response relationship). A novel correlation between ERC and unreacted acrosomes was uncovered. At 120 h, there were significant decreases in hyperactivated motility (P < 0.001) and mitochondrial membrane potential (P < 0.05), and increased reactive oxygen species levels (P < 0.00001) in treated versus control sperm. These results indicate that at 4–8 days postinjection, ANTP induce structural and functional sperm defects associated with infertility, and DNA damage via oxidative stress. Sperm defects were transient as they were not detected 10 days to 5 weeks postinjection. PMID:25370207

Programmed cell death promotes male sterility in the functional dioecious Opuntia stenopetala (Cactaceae).

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Flores-Rentería, Lluvia; Orozco-Arroyo, Gregorio; Cruz-García, Felipe; García-Campusano, Florencia; Alfaro, Isabel; Vázquez-Santana, Sonia

2013-09-01

The sexual separation in dioecious species has interested biologists for decades; however, the cellular mechanism leading to unisexuality has been poorly understood. In this study, the cellular changes that lead to male sterility in the functionally dioecious cactus, Opuntia stenopetala, are described. The spatial and temporal patterns of programmed cell death (PCD) were determined in the anthers of male and female flowers using scanning electron microscopy analysis and histological observations, focusing attention on the transition from bisexual to unisexual development. In addition, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling assays were used as an indicator of DNA fragmentation to corroborate PCD. PCD was detected in anthers of both female and male flowers, but their patterns differed in time and space. Functionally male individuals developed viable pollen, and normal development involved PCD on each layer of the anther wall, which occurred progressively from the inner (tapetum) to the outer layer (epidermis). Conversely, functional female individuals aborted anthers by premature and displaced PCD. In anthers of female flowers, the first signs of PCD, such as a nucleus with irregular shape, fragmented and condensed chromatin, high vacuolization and condensed cytoplasm, occurred at the microspore mother cell stage. Later these features were observed simultaneously in all anther wall layers, connective tissue and filament. Neither pollen formation nor anther dehiscence was detected in female flowers of O. stenopetala due to total anther disruption. Temporal and spatial changes in the patterns of PCD are responsible for male sterility of female flowers in O. stenopetala. Male fertility requires the co-ordination of different events, which, when altered, can lead to male sterility and to functionally unisexual individuals. PCD could be a widespread mechanism in the determination of functionally dioecious species.

Human recombinant factor VIIa may improve heat intolerance in mice by attenuating hypothalamic neuronal apoptosis and damage.

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Hsu, Chuan-Chih; Chen, Sheng-Hsien; Lin, Cheng-Hsien; Yung, Ming-Chi

2014-10-01

Intolerance to heat exposure is believed to be associated with hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis impairment [reflected by decreases in blood concentrations of both adrenocorticotrophic-hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone]. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of human recombinant factor VIIa (rfVIIa) on heat intolerance, HPA axis impairment, and hypothalamic inflammation, ischemic and oxidative damage, and apoptosis in mice under heat stress. Immediately after heat stress (41.2 °C for 1 h), mice were treated with vehicle (1 mL/kg of body weight) or rfVIIa (65-270 µg/kg of body weight) and then returned to room temperature (26 °C). Mice still alive on day 4 of heat exposure were considered survivors. Cellular ischemia markers (e.g., glutamate, lactate-to-pyruvate ratio), oxidative damage markers (e.g., nitric oxide metabolite, hydroxyl radials), and pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α) in hypothalamus were determined. In addition, blood concentrations of both ACTH and corticosterone were measured. Hypothalamic cell damage was assessed by determing the neuronal damage scores, whereas the hypothalamic cell apoptosis was determined by assessing the numbers of cells stained with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated αUTP nick-end labeling, caspase-3-positive cells, and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecula-1-positive cells in hypothalamus. Compared with vehicle-treated heated mice, rfVIIa-treated heated mice had significantly higher fractional survival (8/10 vs 1/10), lesser thermoregulatory deficit (34.1 vs 24.8 °C), lesser extents of ischemic, oxidative, and inflammatory markers in hypothalamus, lesser neuronal damage scores and apoptosis in hypothalamus, and lesser HPA axis impairment. Human recombinant factor VIIa appears to exert a protective effect against heatstroke by attenuating hypothalamic cell apoptosis (due to ischemic, inflammatory, and oxidative damage

dNTP deficiency induced by HU via inhibiting ribonucleotide reductase affects neural tube development

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Guan, Zhen; Wang, Xiuwei; Dong, Yanting; Xu, Lin; Zhu, Zhiqiang; Wang, Jianhua; Zhang, Ting; Niu, Bo

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Murine NTDs were successfully induced by means of hydroxyurea (HU). • The impairment of dNTP was induced via inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase. • dNTP deficiency induced by HU caused defective DNA synthesis and repair. • Abnormal apoptosis and proliferation induced by HU affected neural tube development. - Abstract: Exposure to environmental toxic chemicals in utero during the neural tube development period can cause developmental disorders. To evaluate the disruption of neural tube development programming, the murine neural tube defects (NTDs) model was induced by interrupting folate metabolism using methotrexate in our previous study. The present study aimed to examine the effects of dNTP deficiency induced by hydroxyurea (HU), a specific ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) inhibitor, during murine neural tube development. Pregnant C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally injected with various doses of HU on gestation day (GD) 7.5, and the embryos were checked on GD 11.5. RNR activity and deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) levels were measured in the optimal dose. Additionally, DNA damage was examined by comet analysis and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay. Cellular behaviors in NTDs embryos were evaluated with phosphorylation of histone H3 (PH-3) and caspase-3 using immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. The results showed that NTDs were observed mostly with HU treatment at an optimal dose of 225 mg/kg b/w. RNR activity was inhibited and dNTP levels were decreased in HU-treated embryos with NTDs. Additionally, increased DNA damage, decreased proliferation, and increased caspase-3 were significant in NTDs embryos compared to the controls. Results indicated that HU induced murine NTDs model by disturbing dNTP metabolism and further led to the abnormal cell balance between proliferation and apoptosis

Protective Effect of Unacylated Ghrelin on Compression-Induced Skeletal Muscle Injury Mediated by SIRT1-Signaling

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Felix N. Ugwu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Unacylated ghrelin, the predominant form of circulating ghrelin, protects myotubes from cell death, which is a known attribute of pressure ulcers. In this study, we investigated whether unacylated ghrelin protects skeletal muscle from pressure-induced deep tissue injury by abolishing necroptosis and apoptosis signaling and whether these effects were mediated by SIRT1 pathway. Fifteen adult Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to receive saline or unacylated ghrelin with or without EX527 (a SIRT1 inhibitor. Animals underwent two 6-h compression cycles with 100 mmHg static pressure applied over the mid-tibialis region of the right limb whereas the left uncompressed limb served as the intra-animal control. Muscle tissues underneath the compression region, and at the similar region of the opposite uncompressed limb, were collected for analysis. Unacylated ghrelin attenuated the compression-induced muscle pathohistological alterations including rounding contour of myofibers, extensive nucleus accumulation in the interstitial space, and increased interstitial space. Unacylated ghrelin abolished the increase in necroptosis proteins including RIP1 and RIP3 and attenuated the elevation of apoptotic proteins including p53, Bax, and AIF in the compressed muscle. Furthermore, unacylated ghrelin opposed the compression-induced phosphorylation and acetylation of p65 subunit of NF-kB. The anti-apoptotic effect of unacylated ghrelin was shown by a decrease in apoptotic DNA fragmentation and terminal dUTP nick-end labeling index in the compressed muscle. The protective effects of unacylated ghrelin vanished when co-treated with EX527. Our findings demonstrated that unacylated ghrelin protected skeletal muscle from compression-induced injury. The myoprotective effects of unacylated ghrelin on pressure-induced tissue injury were associated with SIRT1 signaling.

Ghrelin inhibits the apoptosis of MC3T3-E1 cells through ERK and AKT signaling pathway

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Liang, Qiu-Hua; Liu, Yuan; Wu, Shan-Shan; Cui, Rong-Rong; Yuan, Ling-Qing, E-mail: allenylq@hotmail.com; Liao, Er-Yuan, E-mail: eyliao@21cn.com

2013-11-01

Ghrelin is a 28-amino-acid peptide that acts as a natural endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) and strongly stimulates the release of growth hormone from the hypothalamus–pituitary axis. Previous studies have identified the important physiological effects of ghrelin on bone metabolism, such as regulating proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts, independent of GH/IGF-1 axis. However, research on effects and mechanisms of ghrelin on osteoblast apoptosis is still rare. In this study, we identified expression of GHSR in MC3T3-E1 cells and determined the effects of ghrelin on the apoptosis of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells and the mechanism involved. Our data demonstrated that ghrelin inhibited the apoptosis of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells induced by serum deprivation, as determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate nick end-labeling (TUNEL) and ELISA assays. Moreover, ghrelin upregulated Bcl-2 expression and downregulated Bax expression in a dose-dependent manner. Our study also showed decreased activated caspase-3 activity under the treatment of ghrelin. Further study suggested that ghrelin stimulated the phosphorylation of ERK and AKT. Pretreatment of cells with the ERK inhibitor PD98059, PI3K inhibitor LY294002, and GHSR-siRNA blocked the ghrelin-induced activation of ERK and AKT, respectively; however, ghrelin did not stimulate the phosphorylation of p38 or JNK. PD90859, LY294002 and GHSR-siRNA attenuated the anti-apoptosis effect of ghrelin in MC3T3-E1 cells. In conclusion, ghrelin inhibits the apoptosis of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells induced by serum deprivation, which may be mediated by activating the GHSR/ERK and GHSR/PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. - Highlights: • We explored the effects of ghrelin on serum deprivation-induced MC3T3-E1 cells apoptosis. • Both ELISA and TUNEL were used to detect the apoptosis. • The receptor of ghrelin, GHSR, was expressed in MC3T3-E1

Ghrelin inhibits the apoptosis of MC3T3-E1 cells through ERK and AKT signaling pathway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, Qiu-Hua; Liu, Yuan; Wu, Shan-Shan; Cui, Rong-Rong; Yuan, Ling-Qing; Liao, Er-Yuan

2013-01-01

Ghrelin is a 28-amino-acid peptide that acts as a natural endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) and strongly stimulates the release of growth hormone from the hypothalamus–pituitary axis. Previous studies have identified the important physiological effects of ghrelin on bone metabolism, such as regulating proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts, independent of GH/IGF-1 axis. However, research on effects and mechanisms of ghrelin on osteoblast apoptosis is still rare. In this study, we identified expression of GHSR in MC3T3-E1 cells and determined the effects of ghrelin on the apoptosis of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells and the mechanism involved. Our data demonstrated that ghrelin inhibited the apoptosis of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells induced by serum deprivation, as determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate nick end-labeling (TUNEL) and ELISA assays. Moreover, ghrelin upregulated Bcl-2 expression and downregulated Bax expression in a dose-dependent manner. Our study also showed decreased activated caspase-3 activity under the treatment of ghrelin. Further study suggested that ghrelin stimulated the phosphorylation of ERK and AKT. Pretreatment of cells with the ERK inhibitor PD98059, PI3K inhibitor LY294002, and GHSR-siRNA blocked the ghrelin-induced activation of ERK and AKT, respectively; however, ghrelin did not stimulate the phosphorylation of p38 or JNK. PD90859, LY294002 and GHSR-siRNA attenuated the anti-apoptosis effect of ghrelin in MC3T3-E1 cells. In conclusion, ghrelin inhibits the apoptosis of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells induced by serum deprivation, which may be mediated by activating the GHSR/ERK and GHSR/PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. - Highlights: • We explored the effects of ghrelin on serum deprivation-induced MC3T3-E1 cells apoptosis. • Both ELISA and TUNEL were used to detect the apoptosis. • The receptor of ghrelin, GHSR, was expressed in MC3T3-E1

Sulfotanshinone IIA Sodium Ameliorates Glucose Peritoneal Dialysis Solution-Induced Human Peritoneal Mesothelial Cell Injury via Suppression of ASK1-P38-mediated Oxidative Stress

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Yao Zhou

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Long-term use of high-glucose peritoneal dialysis solution (PDS induces peritoneal mesothelial cell (PMC injury, peritoneal dysfunction, and peritoneal dialysis (PD failure in patients with end-stage renal disease. How to preserve PMCs in PD is a major challenge for nephrologists worldwide. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the efficacy and mechanisms of sulfotanshinone IIA sodium (Tan IIa in ameliorating high-glucose PDS-induced human PMC injury. Methods: The human PMC line HMrSV5 was incubated with 4.25% PDS in vitro to mimic the high-glucose conditions in PD. Cellular viability was measured by Cell Counting Kit 8. Generation of superoxide and reactive oxygen species (ROS was assessed using a Total ROS/Superoxide Detection Kit. Oxidative modification of protein was evaluated by OxyBlot Protein Oxidation Detection Kit. TUNEL (dT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay and DAPI (4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining were used to evaluate apoptosis. Western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy and mechanisms of Tan IIa. Results: Tan IIa protected PMCs against PDS-induced injury as evidenced by alleviating changes in morphology and loss of cell viability. Consistent with their antioxidant properties, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC and Tan IIa suppressed superoxide and ROS production, protein oxidation, and apoptosis elicited by PDS. Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1-p38 signaling was activated by PDS. Both Tan IIa and NAC suppressed ASK1 and p38 phosphorylation elicited by PDS. Moreover, genetic downregulation of ASK1 ameliorated cell injury and inhibited the phosphorylation of p38 and activation of caspase 3. Conclusion: Tan IIa protects PMCs against PDS-induced oxidative injury through suppression of ASK1-p38 signaling.

Label-free and sensitive detection of T4 polynucleotide kinase activity via coupling DNA strand displacement reaction with enzymatic-aided amplification.

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Cheng, Rui; Tao, Mangjuan; Shi, Zhilu; Zhang, Xiafei; Jin, Yan; Li, Baoxin

2015-11-15

Several fluorescence signal amplification strategies have been developed for sensitive detection of T4 polynucleotide kinase (T4 PNK) activity, but they need fluorescence dye labeled DNA probe. We have addressed the limitation and report here a label-free strategy for sensitive detection of PNK activity by coupling DNA strand displacement reaction with enzymatic-aided amplification. A hairpin oligonucleotide (hpDNA) with blunt ends was used as the substrate for T4 PNK phosphorylation. In the presence of T4 PNK, the stem of hpDNA was phosphorylated and further degraded by lambda exonuclease (λ exo) from 5' to 3' direction to release a single-stranded DNA as a trigger of DNA strand displacement reaction (SDR). The trigger DNA can continuously displace DNA P2 from P1/P2 hybrid with the help of specific cleavage of nicking endonuclease (Nt.BbvCI). Then, DNA P2 can form G-quadruplex in the presence of potassium ions and quadruplex-selective fluorphore, N-methyl mesoporphyrin IX (NMM), resulting in a significant increase in fluorescence intensity of NMM. Thus, the accumulative release of DNA P2 led to fluorescence signal amplification for determining T4 PNK activity with a detection limit of 6.6×10(-4) U/mL, which is superior or comparative with established approaches. By ingeniously utilizing T4 PNK-triggered DNA SDR, T4 PNK activity can be specifically and facilely studied in homogeneous solution containing complex matrix without any external fluorescence labeling. Moreover, the influence of different inhibitors on the T4 PNK activity revealed that it also can be explored to screen T4 PNK inhibitors. Therefore, this label-free amplification strategy presents a facile and cost-effective approach for nucleic acid phosphorylation related research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The DNA Repair Repertoire of Mycobacterium smegmatis FenA Includes the Incision of DNA 5' Flaps and the Removal of 5' Adenylylated Products of Aborted Nick Ligation.

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Uson, Maria Loressa; Ghosh, Shreya; Shuman, Stewart

2017-09-01

We characterize Mycobacterium smegmatis FenA as a manganese-dependent 5'-flap endonuclease homologous to the 5'-exonuclease of DNA polymerase I. FenA incises a nicked 5' flap between the first and second nucleotides of the duplex segment to yield a 1-nucleotide gapped DNA, which is then further resected in dinucleotide steps. Initial FenA cleavage at a Y-flap or nick occurs between the first and second nucleotides of the duplex. However, when the template 3' single strand is eliminated to create a 5'-tailed duplex, FenA incision shifts to between the second and third nucleotides. A double-flap substrate with a mobile junction (mimicking limited strand displacement synthesis during gap repair) is preferentially incised as the 1-nucleotide 3'-flap isomer, with the scissile phosphodiester shifted by one nucleotide versus a static double flap. FenA efficiently removes the 5' App(dN) terminus of an aborted nick ligation reaction intermediate, thereby highlighting FenA as an agent of repair of such lesions, which are formed under a variety of circumstances by bacterial NAD + -dependent DNA ligases and especially by mycobacterial DNA ligases D and C. IMPORTANCE Structure-specific DNA endonucleases are implicated in bacterial DNA replication, repair, and recombination, yet there is scant knowledge of the roster and catalytic repertoire of such nucleases in Mycobacteria This study identifies M. smegmatis FenA as a stand-alone endonuclease homologous to the 5'-exonuclease domain of mycobacterial DNA polymerase 1. FenA incises 5' flaps, 5' nicks, and 5' App(dN) intermediates of aborted nick ligation. The isolated N-terminal domain of M. smegmatis Pol1 is also shown to be a flap endonuclease. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Affinity labelling of ribosomes from the livers of different vertebrates by 2-nitro-4-azidobenzoyl-Phe-tRNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stahl, J.; Boehm, H.; Voderberg, M.

1981-01-01

Ribosomal protein L 10 from the livers of trout, hen, and rat was found to be the main target for 2-nitro-4-azidobenzoyl-Phe-tRNA in affinity labelling experiments. Therefore, despite somewhat different electrophoretic mobilities, this protein seems to be involved in the organization of the peptidyl transferase centre in ribosomes of various vertebrates. (author)

Neutrophil labeling with [99mTc]-technetium stannous colloid is complement receptor 3-mediated and increases the neutrophil priming response to lipopolysaccharide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallagher, Hayley; Ramsay, Stuart C.; Barnes, Jodie; Maggs, Jacqueline; Cassidy, Nathan; Ketheesan, Natkunam

2006-01-01

Introduction: [ 99m Tc]-technetium stannous colloid (TcSnC)-labeled white cells are used to image inflammation. Neutrophil labeling with TcSnC is probably phagocytic, but the phagocytic receptor involved is not known. We hypothesised that complement receptor 3 (CR3) plays a key role. Phagocytic labeling could theoretically result in neutrophil activation or priming, affecting the behaviour of labeled cells. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis side scatter measurements can assess neutrophil activation and priming. Methods: We tested whether TcSnC neutrophil labeling is CR3-mediated by assessing if neutrophil uptake of TcSnC was inhibited by a monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed at the CD11b component of CR3. We tested if TcSnC-labeled neutrophils show altered activation or priming status, comparing FACS side scatter in labeled and unlabeled neutrophils and examining the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a known priming agent. Results: Anti-CD11b mAb reduced neutrophil uptake of TcSnC in a dose-dependent fashion. Labeled neutrophils did not show significantly increased side scatter compared to controls. LPS significantly increased side scatter in control cells and labeled neutrophils. However, the increase was significantly greater in labeled neutrophils than unlabeled cells. Conclusions: Neutrophil labeling with TcSnC is related to the function of CR3, a receptor which plays a central role in phagocytosis. TcSnC labeling did not significantly activate or prime neutrophils. However, labeled neutrophils showed a greater priming response to LPS. This could result in labeled neutrophils demonstrating increased adhesion on activated endothelium at sites of infection

A cascade autocatalytic strand displacement amplification and hybridization chain reaction event for label-free and ultrasensitive electrochemical nucleic acid biosensing.

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Chen, Zhiqiang; Liu, Ying; Xin, Chen; Zhao, Jikuan; Liu, Shufeng

2018-04-23

Herein, an autocatalytic strand displacement amplification (ASDA) strategy was proposed for the first time, which was further ingeniously coupled with hybridization chain reaction (HCR) event for the isothermal, label-free and multiple amplification toward nucleic acid detection. During the ASDA module, the target recognition opens the immobilized hairpin probe (IP) and initiates the annealing of the auxiliary DNA strand (AS) with the opened IP for the successive polymerization and nicking reaction in the presence of DNA polymerase and nicking endonuclease. This induces the target recycling and generation of a large amount of intermediate DNA sequences, which can be used as target analogy to execute the autocatalytic strand displacement amplification. Simultaneously, the introduced AS strand can propagate the HCR between two hairpins (H1 and H2) to form a linear DNA concatamer with cytosine (C)-rich loop region, which can facilitate the in-situ synthesis of silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) as electrochemical tags for further amplification toward target responses. With current cascade ASDA and HCR strategy, the detection of target DNA could be achieved with a low detection limit of about 0.16 fM and a good selectivity. The developed biosensor also exhibits the distinct advantages of flexibility and simplicity in probe design and biosensor fabrication, and label-free electrochemical detection, thus opens a promising avenue for the detection of nucleic acid with low abundance in bioanalysis and clinical biomedicine. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The atypical structure and function of newborn arterial endothelium is mediated by Rho/Rho kinase signaling.

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Flavahan, Sheila; Flavahan, Nicholas A

2014-08-15

Endothelium of fetal or newborn arteries is atypical, displaying actin stress fibers and reduced nitric oxide (NO)-mediated dilatation. This study tested the hypothesis that Rho/Rho kinase signaling, which promotes endothelial stress fibers and inhibits endothelial dilatation, contributed to this phenotype. Carotid arteries were isolated from newborn [postnatal day 1 (P1)], P7, and P21 mice. Endothelial dilatation to acetylcholine (pressure myograph) was minimal at P1, increased at P7, and further increased at P21. Inhibition of Rho (C3 transferase) or Rho kinase (Y27632, fasudil) significantly increased dilatation to acetylcholine in P1 arteries but had no effect in P7 or P21 arteries. After inhibition of NO synthase (N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester), Rho kinase inhibition no longer increased acetylcholine responses in P1 arteries. Rho kinase inhibition did not affect dilatation to the NO donor DEA-NONOate. The endothelial actin cytoskeleton was labeled with phalloidin and visualized by laser-scanning microscopy. In P1 arteries, the endothelium had prominent transcytoplasmic stress fibers, whereas in P7 and P21 arteries, the actin fibers had a significantly reduced intensity and were restricted to cell borders. Phosphorylation of myosin light chains, a Rho kinase substrate, was highest in P1 endothelium and significantly reduced in P7 and P21 endothelium (laser-scanning microscopy). In P1 arteries, inhibition of Rho (C3 transferase) or Rho kinase (Y27632) significantly reduced the intensity of actin fibers, which were restricted to cell borders. Similarly, in P1 arteries, Rho inhibition significantly reduced endothelial levels of phosphorylated myosin light chains. These results indicate that the atypical function and morphology of newborn endothelium is mediated by Rho/Rho kinase signaling. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

Apoptosis imaging with Iodine-124 labeled Annexin V in Fas-mediated hepatic apoptosis model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Tae Sup; Woo, Kwang Sun; Chung, Wee Sup; Kim, Kyung Min; Kim, Jae Hong; Chun, Kwon Soo; Choi, Chang Woon; Lim, Sang Moo; Cheon, Gi Jeong

2006-01-01

Healthy cells and, to a lesser extent, malignant cells undergo apoptosis or programmed cell death in response to a variety of stimuli. At an early stage in this process the cell membrane changes so that phosphatidylserine (PS), a lipid normally present on the membrane's inner surface, is exposed on the outer surface. This change in the membrane can be detected by the binding of annexin V to the external PS, and this has formed the basis for an in vitro assay for apoptosis. Blankenberg et al. have applied annexin V to the in vivo imaging of apoptosis by labeling annexin V with 99mTc. With this technique, they have been able to image apoptosis. To extend the use of annexin V to PET, it would be very desirable to iodinate the molecule. The relatively long half-life (4.2 d) of the positron emitting iodine-124 presents several advantages. For example in vivo detection and quantification of longer term biological processes is possible. Also, this cyclotron-generated radionuclide can be prepared well in advance and the established radioiodine labeling techniques can be applied. However, there are some disadvantages such as a relatively low ratio of disintegrations resulting in positrons (23%) and a rather complex decay scheme resulting in several high-energy gamma emissions (0.6- 1.69 MeV). Despite this fact, iodine-124 is still considered to be suitable for positron emission tomography (PET). In this study, we are investigating the feasibility of apoptosis imaging using iodine-124 labeled annexin V in Fas-mediated hepatic apoptosis model

Circulating Long Noncoding RNA HOTAIR is an Essential Mediator of Acute Myocardial Infarction

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Lu Gao

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI is one of the leading causes of death in the world. However, specific diagnostic biomarkers have not been fully determined, and candidate regulatory targets for AMI have not been identified to date. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs are a class of RNA molecules that have diverse regulatory functions during embryonic development, normal life, and disease in higher organisms. However, research on the role of lncRNAs in cardiovascular diseases, particularly AMI, is still in its infancy. HOX antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR, a 2.2 kb lncRNA, was initially described as a modulator of HOX gene expression. Recent studies have illustrated the important role of HOTAIR in cancer progression, but few studies have reported its function in cardiac disease, including AMI. In the current study, we aimed to detect the expression of HOTAIR during AMI and to explore its function in hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte injury in neonatal cardiomyocytes. Methods: In 50 consecutively enrolled AMI patients, we examined the serum expression levels of HOTAIR and analysed its correlation with cardiac troponin I (cTnI expression. Another 50 age- and sex-matched subjects served as healthy controls. Next, the HOTAIR expression was detected in the serum from C57BL/6J mice subjected to coronary artery ligation and in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes induced by hypoxia. Cultured cardiomyocytes apoptosis were measured by terminal deoxynucleotide transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL staining. A search for miRNAs that had complementary base paring with HOTAIR was performed utilizing an online software program, and the interaction between miR-1 and HOTAIR was examined using a luciferase reporter assay. Results: Our study revealed that HOTAIR expression was significantly decreased in the serum of AMI patients compared with that of the healthy controls. Similarly, we observed that HOTAIR was downregulated in the serum of mice subjected to

101 labeled brain images and a consistent human cortical labeling protocol

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Arno eKlein

2012-12-01

Full Text Available We introduce the Mindboggle-101 dataset, the largest and most complete set of free, publicly accessible, manually labeled human brain images. To manually label the macroscopic anatomy in magnetic resonance images of 101 healthy participants, we created a new cortical labeling protocol that relies on robust anatomical landmarks and minimal manual edits after initialization with automated labels. The Desikan-Killiany-Tourville (DKT protocol is intended to improve the ease, consistency, and accuracy of labeling human cortical areas. Given how difficult it is to label brains, the Mindboggle-101 dataset is intended to serve as brain atlases for use in labeling other brains, as a normative dataset to establish morphometric variation in a healthy population for comparison against clinical populations, and contribute to the development, training, testing, and evaluation of automated registration and labeling algorithms. To this end, we also introduce benchmarks for the evaluation of such algorithms by comparing our manual labels with labels automatically generated by probabilistic and multi-atlas registration-based approaches. All data and related software and updated information are available on the http://www.mindboggle.info/data/ website.

101 Labeled Brain Images and a Consistent Human Cortical Labeling Protocol

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Klein, Arno; Tourville, Jason

2012-01-01

We introduce the Mindboggle-101 dataset, the largest and most complete set of free, publicly accessible, manually labeled human brain images. To manually label the macroscopic anatomy in magnetic resonance images of 101 healthy participants, we created a new cortical labeling protocol that relies on robust anatomical landmarks and minimal manual edits after initialization with automated labels. The “Desikan–Killiany–Tourville” (DKT) protocol is intended to improve the ease, consistency, and accuracy of labeling human cortical areas. Given how difficult it is to label brains, the Mindboggle-101 dataset is intended to serve as brain atlases for use in labeling other brains, as a normative dataset to establish morphometric variation in a healthy population for comparison against clinical populations, and contribute to the development, training, testing, and evaluation of automated registration and labeling algorithms. To this end, we also introduce benchmarks for the evaluation of such algorithms by comparing our manual labels with labels automatically generated by probabilistic and multi-atlas registration-based approaches. All data and related software and updated information are available on the http://mindboggle.info/data website. PMID:23227001

Discovery of innovative therapies for rare immune-mediated inflammatory diseases via off-label prescription of biologics: the case of IL-6 receptor blockade in Castleman’s disease

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Anne eMusters

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Biologics have revolutionized the field of clinical immunology and proven to be both effective and safe in common immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and various haematological disorders. However, in patients with rare, severe IMIDs failing on standard therapies it is virtually impossible to conduct randomized controlled trials. Therefore, biologics are usually prescribed off-label in these often severely ill patients. Unfortunately, off-label prescription is sometimes hampered in these diseases due to a lack of reimbursement that is often based on a presumed lack of evidence for effectiveness. In the present article will discuss that off-label prescription of biologics can be a good way to discover new treatments for rare diseases. This will be ilustrated using a case of multicentric Castleman’s disease, an immune-mediated lymphoproliferative disorder, in which off-label tocilizumab (humanized anti-IL-6 receptor blocking antibody treatment resulted in remarkable clinical improvement. Furthermore, we will give recommendations for monitoring efficacy and safety of biologic treatment in rare IMIDs, including the use of registries. In conclusion, we put forward that innovative treatments for rare IMIDs can be discovered via off-label prescription of biologicals, provided that this is based on rational arguments including knowledge of the pathophysiology of the disease.

Linerless label device and method

KAUST Repository

Binladen, Abdulkari

2016-01-01

This apparatus and method for applying a linerless label to an end user product includes a device with a printer for printing on a face surface of a linerless label, and a release coat applicator for applying a release coat to the face surface

Isothermal amplification detection of nucleic acids by a double-nicked beacon.

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Shi, Chao; Zhou, Meiling; Pan, Mei; Zhong, Guilin; Ma, Cuiping

2016-03-01

Isothermal and rapid amplification detection of nucleic acids is an important technology in environmental monitoring, foodborne pathogen detection, and point-of-care clinical diagnostics. Here we have developed a novel method of isothermal signal amplification for single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) detection. The ssDNA target could be used as an initiator, coupled with a double-nicked molecular beacon, to originate amplification cycles, achieving cascade signal amplification. In addition, the method showed good specificity and strong anti-jamming capability. Overall, it is a one-pot and isothermal strand displacement amplification method without the requirement of a stepwise procedure, which greatly simplifies the experimental procedure and decreases the probability of contamination of samples. With its advantages, the method would be very useful to detect nucleic acids in point-of-care or field use. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of green light spectra on the reduction of retinal damage and stress in goldfish, Carassius auratus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Jin Ah; Kim, Na Na; Choi, Young Jae; Choi, Cheol Young

2016-01-01

We investigated the effect of light spectra on retinal damage and stress in goldfish using green (530 nm) and red (620 nm) light emitting diodes (LEDs) at three intensities each (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 W/m"2). We measured the change in the levels of plasma cortisol and H_2O_2 and expression and levels of caspase-3. The apoptotic response of green and red LED spectra was assessed using the terminal transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Stress indicator (cortisol and H_2O_2) and apoptosis-related genes (caspase-3) decreased in green light, but increased in red light with higher light intensities over time. The TUNEL assay revealed that more apoptotic cells were detected in outer nuclear layers after exposure to red LED over time with the increase in light intensity, than the other spectra. These results indicate that green light efficiently reduces retinal damage and stress, whereas red light induces it. Therefore, red light-induced retina damage may induce apoptosis in goldfish retina. -- Highlights: •Green light efficiently reduces retinal damage and stress. •Green spectra reduce caspase production and apoptosis. •Red light-induced retina damage may induce apoptosis in goldfish retina. •The retina of goldfish recognizes green spectra as a stable environment.

Stimulatory effects of curcumin and quercetin on posttranslational modifications of p53 during lung carcinogenesis.

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Zhang, P; Zhang, Xy

2018-06-01

Lung cancer is responsible for increase in mortality due to cancer-related deaths, and new approaches are being explored for the betterment of the situation. In the present study, chemopreventive efficacy of curcumin and quercetin was investigated against benzo(a)pyrene (BP)-induced lung carcinogenesis. The mice were segregated into five groups, which included normal control, BP-treated, BP + curcumin-treated, BP + quercetin-treated, and BP + curcumin + quercetin-treated groups. The morphological and histological analyses of tumor nodules confirmed lung carcinogenesis22 weeks after weeks single intraperitoneal injection of BP at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight to mice. Curcumin and quercetin when administered individually as well as in combination significantly elevated the expression of acetylated-p53, which was otherwise depressed due to BP treatment. Also, both the phytochemicals significantly reduced the BP-inflicted increased levels of phosphorylated-p53. Furthermore, observed increase in the number of apoptotic cells by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), assay and increased activities of caspase 3 and 9 confirmed the induction of apoptosis by curcumin and quercetin. Moreover, the histological slides also showed noticeable improvement in the histoarchitecture of lungs by phytochemicals. The present study concludes that prophylactic treatment with curcumin and quercetin induces apoptosis in the lungs by modulation of p53 posttranslational modifications.

Melatonin attenuates oxidative stress, liver damage and hepatocyte apoptosis after bile-duct ligation in rats.

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Aktas, Cevat; Kanter, Mehmet; Erboga, Mustafa; Mete, Rafet; Oran, Mustafa

2014-10-01

The goal of this study was to evaluate the possible protective effects of melatonin against cholestatic oxidative stress, liver damage and hepatocyte apoptosis in the common rats with bile duct ligation (BDL). A total of 24 male Wistar albino rats were divided into three groups: control, BDL and BDL + received melatonin; each group contains eight animals. Melatonin-treated BDL rats received daily melatonin 100 mg/kg/day via intraperitoneal injection. The application of BDL clearly increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and decreased the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) activities. Melatonin treatment significantly decreased the elevated tissue MDA levels and increased the reduced SOD and GSH enzyme levels in the tissues. The changes demonstrate that the bile duct proliferation and fibrosis in expanded portal tracts include the extension of proliferated bile ducts into lobules, mononuclear cells and neutrophil infiltration into the widened portal areas as observed in the BDL group. The data indicate that melatonin attenuates BDL-induced cholestatic liver injury, bile duct proliferation and fibrosis. The α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells in the BDL were observed to be reduced with the melatonin treatment. These results suggest that administration of melatonin is a potentially beneficial agent to reduce liver damage in BDL by decreasing oxidative stress. © The Author(s) 2012.

Edaravone Protect against Retinal Damage in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice

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Liu, Xiaoyi; Chen, Xi; Xie, Ping; Yuan, Songtao; Zhang, Weiwei; Lin, Xiaojun; Liu, Qinghuai

2014-01-01

Edaravone (3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one), a free radical scavenger, is used for the clinical treatment of retinal injury. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of edaravone against diabetic retinal damage in the mouse. Diabetic retinopathy in the mouse was induced by injection of streptozotocin. Edaravone was given once-daily and was intraperitoneally (i.p.) treated at a dose of 3 mg/kg from streptozotocin injection to 4 weeks after onset of diabetes. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) damage was evaluated by recording the pattern electroretinogram (ERG). RGCs damage was also detected by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined fluorometrically. The expressions of phosporylated-ERK1/2, BDNF, and caspase-3 were determined by Western blot analysis. Retinal levels of ROS, phosphorylated ERK1/2, and cleaved caspase-3 were significantly increased, whereas the expression of BDNF was significantly decreased in the retinas of diabetic mice, compared to nondiabetic mice. Administration of edaravone significantly attenuated diabetes induced RGCs death, upregulation of ROS, ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and cleaved caspase-3 and downregulation of BDNF. These findings suggest that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in diabetic retinal damage and that systemic administration of edaravone may slow the progression of retinal neuropathy induced by diabetes. PMID:24897298

Edaravone protect against retinal damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

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Dongqing Yuan

Full Text Available Edaravone (3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one, a free radical scavenger, is used for the clinical treatment of retinal injury. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of edaravone against diabetic retinal damage in the mouse. Diabetic retinopathy in the mouse was induced by injection of streptozotocin. Edaravone was given once-daily and was intraperitoneally (i.p. treated at a dose of 3 mg/kg from streptozotocin injection to 4 weeks after onset of diabetes. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs damage was evaluated by recording the pattern electroretinogram (ERG. RGCs damage was also detected by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL staining, and the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS were determined fluorometrically. The expressions of phosporylated-ERK1/2, BDNF, and caspase-3 were determined by Western blot analysis. Retinal levels of ROS, phosphorylated ERK1/2, and cleaved caspase-3 were significantly increased, whereas the expression of BDNF was significantly decreased in the retinas of diabetic mice, compared to nondiabetic mice. Administration of edaravone significantly attenuated diabetes induced RGCs death, upregulation of ROS, ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and cleaved caspase-3 and downregulation of BDNF. These findings suggest that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in diabetic retinal damage and that systemic administration of edaravone may slow the progression of retinal neuropathy induced by diabetes.

A Cytotoxic Hydroperoxy Sterol from the Brown Alga, Nizamuddinia Zanardinii

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Abdolhossein Rustaiyan

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Background:The marine environment is a unique source of bioactive natural products, of which Nizamuddinia zanardinii is an important brown algae distributed in Oman Sea. Literature revealed that there is no report on phytochemistry and pharmacology of this valuable algae.Methods:Bioguided fractionation of the methanolic extract of Nizamuddinia zanardinii, collected from Oman Sea, led to the isolation of a hydroperoxy sterol. Its structure was determined by analysis of the spectroscopic data as 24-hydroperoxy-24-vinyl cholesterol (HVC. In vitro cytotoxic activity of this compound was evaluated against HT29, MCF7, A549, HepG2 and MDBK cell lines.Results:Although 24(R-hydroproxy-24-vinylcholesterol has been previously reported from Sargassum and Padina species, it is the first report on the presence of this compound from N. zanardinii. This compound exhibited cytotoxicity in all cell lines (IC50, 3.62, 9.09, 17.96, 32.31 and 37.31 μg/mL respectively. HVC was also evaluated for apoptotic activity and demonstrated positive results in terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP Nick End labeling (TUNEL assay suggesting it a candidate for further apoptotic studies.Conclusions:Nizamuddinia zanardinii, a remarkable brown algae of Oman Sea, is a good source of hydroproxy sterols with promising cytotoxic on various cell lines particularly human colon adenocarcinoma.

Fisetin Protects against Intracerebral Hemorrhage-Induced Neuroinflammation in Aged Mice.

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Chen, Cheng; Yao, Li; Cui, Jing; Liu, Bao

2018-01-01

Fisetin is commonly used as an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective drug. In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of fisetin in alleviating intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)-induced brain injury. Mouse ICH models were constructed using the collagenase-induction method. ICH mice received fisetin treatment at the dose of 10-90 mg/kg, followed by the evaluation of neurological deficit through neurologic severity scores (mNSS), brain water content and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling analysis of cell apoptosis. Cytokine levels were also assessed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The activation of astrocytes and microglia was evaluated through S100 staining and Western blot analysis of ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 respectively. Nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling was also evaluated by Western blot. ICH mice demonstrated dramatic increase in mNSS, brain edema and cell apoptosis, indicating severe brain deficit. Fisetin treatment lowered these parameters, suggesting the alleviation of brain injury. Levels of proinflammatory cytokines were reduced, accompanied by a prominent decrease in activated astrocytes and microglia. NF-κB signaling was also attenuated by fisetin treatment. Fisetin effectively alleviates ICH by downregulating proinflammatory cytokines and attenuating NF-κB signaling. These data suggest fisetin as a valuable natural flavonol for clinical management of ICH-induced brain injury. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Retinal protective effects of topically administered agmatine on ischemic ocular injury caused by transient occlusion of the ophthalmic artery

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S. Hong

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Agmatine, an endogenous polyamine and putative neuromodulator, is known to have neuroprotective effects on various neurons in the central nervous system. We determined whether or not topically administered agmatine could reduce ischemic retinal injury. Transient ocular ischemia was achieved by intraluminal occlusion of the middle cerebral artery of ddY mice (30-35 g for 2 h, which is known to also induce occlusion of the ophthalmic artery. In the agmatine group (N = 6, a 1.0 mM agmatine-containing ophthalmic solution was administered four times daily for 2 weeks before occlusion. In the control group (N = 6, a 0.1% hyaluronic acid ophthalmic solution was instilled at the same times. At 22 h after reperfusion, the eyeballs were enucleated and the retinal sections were stained by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL. Transient ocular ischemia induced apoptosis of retinal cells in the entire retinal layer, and topically administered agmatine can significantly reduce this ischemic retinal injury. The proportion of apoptotic cells was definitely decreased (P < 0.001; Kruskal-Wallis test. Overall, we determined that topical agmatine application effectively decreases retinal damage in an in vivo ocular ischemic injury model. This implies that agmatine is a good candidate as a direct neuroprotective agent for eyes with ocular ischemic diseases.

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.

Effect of green light spectra on the reduction of retinal damage and stress in goldfish, Carassius auratus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Jin Ah; Kim, Na Na; Choi, Young Jae; Choi, Cheol Young, E-mail: choic@kmou.ac.kr

2016-07-22

We investigated the effect of light spectra on retinal damage and stress in goldfish using green (530 nm) and red (620 nm) light emitting diodes (LEDs) at three intensities each (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 W/m{sup 2}). We measured the change in the levels of plasma cortisol and H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and expression and levels of caspase-3. The apoptotic response of green and red LED spectra was assessed using the terminal transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Stress indicator (cortisol and H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) and apoptosis-related genes (caspase-3) decreased in green light, but increased in red light with higher light intensities over time. The TUNEL assay revealed that more apoptotic cells were detected in outer nuclear layers after exposure to red LED over time with the increase in light intensity, than the other spectra. These results indicate that green light efficiently reduces retinal damage and stress, whereas red light induces it. Therefore, red light-induced retina damage may induce apoptosis in goldfish retina. -- Highlights: •Green light efficiently reduces retinal damage and stress. •Green spectra reduce caspase production and apoptosis. •Red light-induced retina damage may induce apoptosis in goldfish retina. •The retina of goldfish recognizes green spectra as a stable environment.

Patterns of Apoptosis and Proliferation throughout the Biennial Reproductive Cycle of Viviparous Female Typhlonectes compressicauda (Amphibia, Gymnophiona

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Michel Raquet

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Typhlonectes compressicauda is an aquatic gymnophionan amphibian living in South America. Its breeding cycle is linked to seasons, characterized by a regular alternation of rainy and dry seasons. During a complex biennial cycle, the female genital tract undergoes a series of alternations of increasing and decreasing, governed by equilibrium of proliferation and apoptotic phenomena. Immunohistochemical methods were used to visualize cell proliferation with the detection of Ki67 antibody, a protein present in proliferative cells; terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL and Apostain were performed to detect apoptotic cells on sections of ovaries and oviducts. In ovaries, both phenomena affect the germinal nests and follicles according to the cycle period. In the oviduct, the balance was in favor of proliferation during preparation for reproduction, and in favor of apoptosis when genital ducts regress. Apoptosis and proliferation are narrowly implicated in the remodeling of the genital tract and they are accompanied by the differentiation of tissues according to the phase of the breeding cycle. These variations permit the capture of oocytes at ovulation, always at the same period, and the parturition after 6–7 months of gestation, at a period in which the newborns live with their mother, protected in burrows in the mud. During the intervening year of sexual inactivity, the female reconstitutes body reserves.

Regulatory effect of neuroglobin in the recovery of spinal cord injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Ji-Lin; Lin, Yun; Yuan, Yong-Jian; Xing, Shi-Tong; Xu, Yi; Zhang, Qiang-Hua; Min, Ji-Kang

2017-11-16

The present study was aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of neuroglobin in the recovery of spinal cord injury. The male albino Wistar strain rats were used as an experimental model, and adeno associated virus (AAV) was administered in the T12 section of spinal cord ten days prior to the injury. Basso Beattie Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale was used to determine the recovery of the hind limb during four weeks post-operation. Malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined in the spinal cord tissues. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) assay was carried out to determine the presence of apoptotic cells. Immunofluorescence analysis was carried out to determine the neuroglobin expression. Western blot analysis was carried out to determine the protein expressions of caspase-3, cytochrome c, bax and bcl-2 in the spinal cord tissues. Experimental results showed that rats were recovered from the spinal cord injury due to increased neuroglobin expression. Lipid peroxidation was reduced, whereas catalase and SOD activity were increased in the spinal cord tissues. Apoptosis and lesions were significantly reduced in the spinal cord tissues. Caspase-3, cytochrome c and bax levels were significantly reduced, whereas bcl-2 expression was reduced in the spinal cord tissues. Taking all these data together, it is suggested that the increased neuroglobin expression could improve the locomotor function.

Caspase-3-dependent apoptosis of citreamicin ε-induced heLa iells Is associated with reactive oxygen species generation

KAUST Repository

Liu, Lingli

2013-07-15

Citreamicins, members of the polycyclic xanthone family, are promising antitumor agents that are produced by Streptomyces species. Two diastereomers, citreamicin ε A (1) and B (2), were isolated from a marine-derived Streptomyces species. The relative configurations of these two diastereomers were determined using NMR spectroscopy and successful crystallization of citreamicin ε A (1). Both diastereomers showed potent cytotoxic activity against HeLa (cervical cancer) and HepG2 (hepatic carcinoma) cells with IC 50 values ranging from 30 to 100 nM. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay confirmed that citreamicin ε A (1) induced cellular apoptosis, and Western blot analysis showed that apoptosis occurred via activation of caspase-3. The 2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate assay indicated that citreamicin ε substantially increased the intracellular concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To confirm the hypothesis that citreamicin ε induced apoptosis through an increase in the intracellular ROS concentration, the oxidized products, oxicitreamicin ε A (3) and B (4), were obtained from a one-step reaction catalyzed by Ag 2O. These products, with a reduced capacity to increase the intracellular ROS concentration, exhibited a significantly weakened cytotoxicity in both HeLa and HepG2 cells compared with that of citreamicin ε A (1) and B (2). © 2013 American Chemical Society.

The Ameliorative Effects of L-2-Oxothiazolidine-4-Carboxylate on Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Mice

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Jun Ho Shin

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to investigate the ameliorative effects and the mechanism of action of L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate (OTC on acetaminophen (APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Mice were randomly divided into six groups: normal control group, APAP only treated group, APAP + 25 mg/kg OTC, APAP + 50 mg/kg OTC, APAP + 100 mg/kg OTC, and APAP + 100 mg/kg N-acetylcysteine (NAC as a reference control group. OTC treatment significantly reduced serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels in a dose dependent manner. OTC treatment was markedly increased glutathione (GSH production and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px activity in a dose dependent manner. The contents of malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal in liver tissues were significantly decreased by administration of OTC and the inhibitory effect of OTC was similar to that of NAC. Moreover, OTC treatment on APAP-induced hepatotoxicity significantly reduced the formation of nitrotyrosin and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling positive areas of liver tissues in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, the activity of caspase-3 in liver tissues was reduced by administration of OTC in a dose dependent manner. The ameliorative effects of OTC on APAP-induced liver damage in mice was similar to that of NAC. These results suggest that OTC has ameliorative effects on APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in mice through anti-oxidative stress and anti-apoptotic processes.

Neutrophil labeling with [{sup 99m}Tc]-technetium stannous colloid is complement receptor 3-mediated and increases the neutrophil priming response to lipopolysaccharide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gallagher, Hayley [School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811 (Australia); Ramsay, Stuart C. [School of Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland (Australia) and Townsville Nuclear Medicine, Mater Hospital, Townsville, Queensland 4812 (Australia)]. E-mail: stuart.ramsey@jcu.edu.au; Barnes, Jodie [School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811 (Australia); Maggs, Jacqueline [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Townsville Hospital, Townsville, Queensland 4814 (Australia); Cassidy, Nathan [Townsville Nuclear Medicine, Mater Hospital, Townsville, Queensland 4812 (Australia); Ketheesan, Natkunam [School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811 (Australia); School of Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland (Australia)

2006-04-15

Introduction: [{sup 99m}Tc]-technetium stannous colloid (TcSnC)-labeled white cells are used to image inflammation. Neutrophil labeling with TcSnC is probably phagocytic, but the phagocytic receptor involved is not known. We hypothesised that complement receptor 3 (CR3) plays a key role. Phagocytic labeling could theoretically result in neutrophil activation or priming, affecting the behaviour of labeled cells. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis side scatter measurements can assess neutrophil activation and priming. Methods: We tested whether TcSnC neutrophil labeling is CR3-mediated by assessing if neutrophil uptake of TcSnC was inhibited by a monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed at the CD11b component of CR3. We tested if TcSnC-labeled neutrophils show altered activation or priming status, comparing FACS side scatter in labeled and unlabeled neutrophils and examining the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a known priming agent. Results: Anti-CD11b mAb reduced neutrophil uptake of TcSnC in a dose-dependent fashion. Labeled neutrophils did not show significantly increased side scatter compared to controls. LPS significantly increased side scatter in control cells and labeled neutrophils. However, the increase was significantly greater in labeled neutrophils than unlabeled cells. Conclusions: Neutrophil labeling with TcSnC is related to the function of CR3, a receptor which plays a central role in phagocytosis. TcSnC labeling did not significantly activate or prime neutrophils. However, labeled neutrophils showed a greater priming response to LPS. This could result in labeled neutrophils demonstrating increased adhesion on activated endothelium at sites of infection.

Targeting of indium 111-labeled bivalent hapten to human melanoma mediated by bispecific monoclonal antibody conjugates: Imaging of tumors hosted in nude mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Doussal, J.M.; Gruaz-Guyon, A.; Martin, M.; Gautherot, E.; Delaage, M.; Barbet, J.

1990-01-01

Antibody conjugates were prepared by coupling F(ab')2 or Fab' fragments of an antibody specific for the human high molecular weight-melanoma associated antigen to Fab' fragments of an antibody specific for indium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetate complexes. Monovalent and bivalent haptens were synthesized by reacting the dipeptide tyrosyl-lysine with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic cyclic anhydride. In vitro, the antibody conjugate mediated binding of the 111In-labeled haptens to melanoma cells. In vivo, it allowed specific localization of the haptens in A375 tumors. The bivalent hapten exhibited much higher efficiency at targeting 111In onto cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Antibody conjugate and hapten doses (2 micrograms and 1 pmol, respectively) and the delay between antibody conjugate and tracer injections (24 h) were adjusted to maximize tumor uptake (4% injected dose/g) and tumor to normal tissue contrast (greater than 3) obtained 3 h after injection of the 111In-labeled bivalent hapten. This two-step technique, when compared to direct targeting of 111In-labeled F(ab')2 fragments, provided lower localization of injected activity into the tumor (x 0.25), but higher tumor/tissue ratios, especially with respect to liver (x 7), spleen (x 8), and kidneys (x 10). In addition, high contrast images were obtained within 3 hours, instead of days. Thus, antibody conjugate-mediated targeting of small bivalent haptens, labeled with short half-life isotopes, is proposed as a general method for improving tumor radioimmunolocalization

Design and Synthesis of 11C-Labelled Compound Libraries for the Molecular Imaging of EGFr, VEGFr-2, AT1 and AT2 Receptors: Transition-Metal Mediated Carbonylations Using [11C]Carbon Monoxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aaberg, Ola

2009-01-01

This work deals with radiochemistry and new approaches to develop novel PET tracers labelled with the radionuclide 11 C. Two methods for the synthesis of 11 C-labelled acrylamides have been explored. First, [1- 11 C]-acrylic acid was obtained from a palladium(0)-mediated 11 C-carboxylation of acetylene with [ 11 C]carbon monoxide; this could be converted to the corresponding acyl chloride and then combined with benzylamine to form N-benzyl[carbonyl- 11 C]acrylamide. In the second method, the palladium(0)-mediated carbonylation of vinyl halides with [ 11 C]carbon monoxide was explored. This latter method, yielded labelled acrylamides in a single step with retention of configuration at the C=C double bond, and required less amine compared to the acetylene method. The vinyl halide method was used to synthesize a library of 11 C-labelled EGFr-inhibitors in 7-61% decay corrected radiochemical yield via a combinatorial approach. The compounds were designed to target either the active or the inactive form of EGFr, following computational docking studies. The rhodium(I)-mediated carbonylative cross-coupling of an azide and an amine was shown to be a very general reaction and was used to synthesize a library of dual VEGFr-2/PDGFrβ inhibitors that were 11 C-labelled at the urea position in 38-78% dc rcy. The angiotensin II AT 1 receptor antagonist eprosartan was 11 C-labelled at one of the carboxyl groups in one step using a palladium(0)-mediated carboxylation. Autoradiography shows specific binding in rat kidney, lung and adrenal cortex, and organ distribution shows a high accumulation in the intestines, kidneys and liver. Specific binding in frozen sections of human adrenal incidentalomas warrants further investigations of this tracer. Three angiotensin II AT 2 ligands were 11 C-labelled at the amide group in a palladium(0)-mediated aminocarbonylation in 16-36% dc rcy. One of the compounds was evaluated using in vitro using autoradiography, and in vivo using organ

Glutathione Transferase from Trichoderma virens Enhances Cadmium Tolerance without Enhancing Its Accumulation in Transgenic Nicotiana tabacum

Science.gov (United States)

Dixit, Prachy; Mukherjee, Prasun K.; Ramachandran, V.; Eapen, Susan

2011-01-01

Background Cadmium (Cd) is a major heavy metal pollutant which is highly toxic to plants and animals. Vast agricultural areas worldwide are contaminated with Cd. Plants take up Cd and through the food chain it reaches humans and causes toxicity. It is ideal to develop plants tolerant to Cd, without enhanced accumulation in the edible parts for human consumption. Glutathione transferases (GST) are a family of multifunctional enzymes known to have important roles in combating oxidative stresses induced by various heavy metals including Cd. Some GSTs are also known to function as glutathione peroxidases. Overexpression/heterologous expression of GSTs is expected to result in plants tolerant to heavy metals such as Cd. Results Here, we report cloning of a glutathione transferase gene from Trichoderma virens, a biocontrol fungus and introducing it into Nicotiana tabacum plants by Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer. Transgenic nature of the plants was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization and expression by reverse transcription PCR. Transgene (TvGST) showed single gene Mendelian inheritance. When transgenic plants expressing TvGST gene were exposed to different concentrations of Cd, they were found to be more tolerant compared to wild type plants, with transgenic plants showing lower levels of lipid peroxidation. Levels of different antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione transferase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, guiacol peroxidase and catalase showed enhanced levels in transgenic plants expressing TvGST compared to control plants, when exposed to Cd. Cadmium accumulation in the plant biomass in transgenic plants were similar or lower than wild-type plants. Conclusion The results of the present study suggest that transgenic tobacco plants expressing a Trichoderma virens GST are more tolerant to Cd, without enhancing its accumulation in the plant biomass. It should be possible to extend the present results to crop plants for developing Cd tolerance and

Glutathione transferase from Trichoderma virens enhances cadmium tolerance without enhancing its accumulation in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prachy Dixit

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cadmium (Cd is a major heavy metal pollutant which is highly toxic to plants and animals. Vast agricultural areas worldwide are contaminated with Cd. Plants take up Cd and through the food chain it reaches humans and causes toxicity. It is ideal to develop plants tolerant to Cd, without enhanced accumulation in the edible parts for human consumption. Glutathione transferases (GST are a family of multifunctional enzymes known to have important roles in combating oxidative stresses induced by various heavy metals including Cd. Some GSTs are also known to function as glutathione peroxidases. Overexpression/heterologous expression of GSTs is expected to result in plants tolerant to heavy metals such as Cd. RESULTS: Here, we report cloning of a glutathione transferase gene from Trichoderma virens, a biocontrol fungus and introducing it into Nicotiana tabacum plants by Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer. Transgenic nature of the plants was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization and expression by reverse transcription PCR. Transgene (TvGST showed single gene Mendelian inheritance. When transgenic plants expressing TvGST gene were exposed to different concentrations of Cd, they were found to be more tolerant compared to wild type plants, with transgenic plants showing lower levels of lipid peroxidation. Levels of different antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione transferase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, guiacol peroxidase and catalase showed enhanced levels in transgenic plants expressing TvGST compared to control plants, when exposed to Cd. Cadmium accumulation in the plant biomass in transgenic plants were similar or lower than wild-type plants. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study suggest that transgenic tobacco plants expressing a Trichoderma virens GST are more tolerant to Cd, without enhancing its accumulation in the plant biomass. It should be possible to extend the present results to crop plants for

Label-free electrochemical biosensing of small-molecule inhibition on O-GlcNAc glycosylation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yu; Gu, Yuxin; Wan, Bin; Ren, Xiaomin; Guo, Liang-Hong

2017-09-15

O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) transferase (OGT) plays a critical role in modulating protein function in many cellular processes and human diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and type II diabetes, and has emerged as a promising new target. Specific inhibitors of OGT could be valuable tools to probe the biological functions of O-GlcNAcylation, but a lack of robust nonradiometric assay strategies to detect glycosylation, has impeded efforts to identify such compounds. Here we have developed a novel label-free electrochemical biosensor for the detection of peptide O-GlcNAcylation using protease-protection strategy and electrocatalytic oxidation of tyrosine mediated by osmium bipyridine as a signal reporter. There is a large difference in the abilities of proteolysis of the glycosylated and the unglycosylated peptides by protease, thus providing a sensing mechanism for OGT activity. When the O-GlcNAcylation is achieved, the glycosylated peptides cannot be cleaved by proteinase K and result in a high current response on indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. However, when the O-GlcNAcylation is successfully inhibited using a small molecule, the unglycosylated peptides can be cleaved easily and lead to low current signal. Peptide O-GlcNAcylation reaction was performed in the presence of a well-defined small-molecule OGT inhibitor. The results indicated that the biosensor could be used to screen the OGT inhibitors effectively. Our label-free electrochemical method is a promising candidate for protein glycosylation pathway research in screening small-molecule inhibitors of OGT. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gamma-irradiation of homodeoxyoligonucleotides 32P-labelled at one end: computer simulation of the chain length distribution of the radioactive fragments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teoule, R.; Duplaa, A.M.

1987-01-01

Electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels of the fragments resulting from γ-irradiation of single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotides labelled at their 5'- or 3'-end proved a potent tool for analysis of the radiation-induced chain breakage of DNA. Owing to the fact that the oligonucleotide may be ruptured at more than one site, counting of the electrophoresis bands must be corrected and it is necessary to assess the influence of the cleavage position on the band intensities. A complicating factor is the inhomogeneity of the system due to the presence of the four bases A, T, C and G. To circumvent this problem, the homooligodeoxyribonucleotides (dA) 15 , (dC) 15 , (dT) 15 were used as experimental probes. They were γ-irradiated in solution, heated in alkali and resulting fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. A computer simulation of band intensities was compiled based on the general assumption that the chain breakage is homogeneous. Experimental results obtained from the homooligodeoxyribonucleotides labelled at either the 5' or the 3'-end are in excellent agreement with theoretical calculations. Abacus giving the gel band intensities (percentage) against the nucleotide positions and the remaining intensity of the original oligonucleotide have been obtained. (author)

Glutathione-supported arsenate reduction coupled to arsenolysis catalyzed by ornithine carbamoyl transferase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemeti, Balazs; Gregus, Zoltan

2009-01-01

Three cytosolic phosphorolytic/arsenolytic enzymes, (purine nucleoside phosphorylase [PNP], glycogen phosphorylase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) have been shown to mediate reduction of arsenate (AsV) to the more toxic arsenite (AsIII) in a thiol-dependent manner. With unknown mechanism, hepatic mitochondria also reduce AsV. Mitochondria possess ornithine carbamoyl transferase (OCT), which catalyzes phosphorolytic or arsenolytic citrulline cleavage; therefore, we examined if mitochondrial OCT facilitated AsV reduction in presence of glutathione. Isolated rat liver mitochondria were incubated with AsV, and AsIII formed was quantified. Glutathione-supplemented permeabilized or solubilized mitochondria reduced AsV. Citrulline (substrate for OCT-catalyzed arsenolysis) increased AsV reduction. The citrulline-stimulated AsV reduction was abolished by ornithine (OCT substrate inhibiting citrulline cleavage), phosphate (OCT substrate competing with AsV), and the OCT inhibitor norvaline or PALO, indicating that AsV reduction is coupled to OCT-catalyzed arsenolysis of citrulline. Corroborating this conclusion, purified bacterial OCT mediated AsV reduction in presence of citrulline and glutathione with similar responsiveness to these agents. In contrast, AsIII formation by intact mitochondria was unaffected by PALO and slightly stimulated by citrulline, ornithine, and norvaline, suggesting minimal role for OCT in AsV reduction in intact mitochondria. In addition to OCT, mitochondrial PNP can also mediate AsIII formation; however, its role in AsV reduction appears severely limited by purine nucleoside supply. Collectively, mitochondrial and bacterial OCT promote glutathione-dependent AsV reduction with coupled arsenolysis of citrulline, supporting the hypothesis that AsV reduction is mediated by phosphorolytic/arsenolytic enzymes. Nevertheless, because citrulline cleavage is disfavored physiologically, OCT may have little role in AsV reduction in vivo.

Enhanced tolerance and remediation of anthracene by transgenic tobacco plants expressing a fungal glutathione transferase gene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixit, Prachy; Mukherjee, Prasun K.; Sherkhane, Pramod D.; Kale, Sharad P.; Eapen, Susan

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Transgenic plants expressing a TvGST gene were tested for tolerance, uptake and degradation of anthracene. → Transgenic plants were more tolerant to anthracene and take up more anthracene from soil and solutions compared to control plants. → Using in vitro T 1 seedlings, we showed that anthracene-a three fused benzene ring compound was phytodegraded to naphthalene derivatives, having two benzene rings. → This is the first time that a transgenic plant was shown to have the potential to phytodegrade anthracene. - Abstract: Plants can be used for remediation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to be a major concern for human health. Metabolism of xenobiotic compounds in plants occurs in three phases and glutathione transferases (GST) mediate phase II of xenobiotic transformation. Plants, although have GSTs, they are not very efficient for degradation of exogenous recalcitrant xenobiotics including polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Hence, heterologous expression of efficient GSTs in plants may improve their remediation and degradation potential of xenobiotics. In the present study, we investigated the potential of transgenic tobacco plants expressing a Trichoderma virens GST for tolerance, remediation and degradation of anthracene-a recalcitrant polyaromatic hydrocarbon. Transgenic plants with fungal GST showed enhanced tolerance to anthracene compared to control plants. Remediation of 14 C uniformly labeled anthracene from solutions and soil by transgenic tobacco plants was higher compared to wild-type plants. Transgenic plants (T 0 and T 1 ) degraded anthracene to naphthalene derivatives, while no such degradation was observed in wild-type plants. The present work has shown that in planta expression of a fungal GST in tobacco imparted enhanced tolerance as well as higher remediation potential of anthracene compared to wild-type plants.

Preparation and Characterization of Nicke-iron Alloy Film as Freestanding Electrode for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yao Mengqi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This work reports the porous nicke-iron alloy film supported on stainless steel mesh as freestanding electrode for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction (OER catalyst prepared from an one step electrodeposition method. Results indicated that the porous nickle-iron alloy film exhibits a low overpotential of 270 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and excellent electroconductibility. The superior OER properties can be attributed to its novel synthetic process, conductive substrate and porous structure. This work will provide a new strategy to fabricate alloy film for OER electrocatalyst.

The singer and the song: Nick Cave and the archetypal function of the cover version

OpenAIRE

Wiseman-Trowse, Nathan J B

2013-01-01

Throughout his career, from The Boys Next Door, through The Birthday Party, and with The Bad Seeds, Australian singer / songwriter Nick Cave has balanced his own set of creative voices alongside those of others through his choice of cover versions. Cave’s 1986 album with The Bad Seeds, ‘Kicking Against the Pricks’, is a collection of cover versions that spans American folk idioms (‘Black Betty’, ‘Hey Joe’, ‘The Singer’), Tin-Pan-Alley balladeering (‘Something’s Gotten Hold of my Heart’, ‘By t...

Analysis of glutathione S-transferase (M1, T1 and P1) gene ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Glutathione S-transferase enzymes are active in detoxifying a wide number of endogenous and exogenous chemical carcinogens and subsequently, are crucial in protecting the DNA. Several studies show some differences in association of glutathione S-transferase M1, T1 and P1 genetic polymorphisms with the risk of ...

The association between glutathione S-transferase P1 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mahmoud I. Mahmoud

2011-08-10

Aug 10, 2011 ... B-adrenergic receptor polymorphisms and response to salmeterol. Am J Respir Crit Care ... transferase Pi locus and association with susceptibility to bladder, testicular and prostate cancer. Carcinogenesis 1997;18(4):641–4.

Automatic extraction of drug indications from FDA drug labels.

Science.gov (United States)

Khare, Ritu; Wei, Chih-Hsuan; Lu, Zhiyong

2014-01-01

Extracting computable indications, i.e. drug-disease treatment relationships, from narrative drug resources is the key for building a gold standard drug indication repository. The two steps to the extraction problem are disease named-entity recognition (NER) to identify disease mentions from a free-text description and disease classification to distinguish indications from other disease mentions in the description. While there exist many tools for disease NER, disease classification is mostly achieved through human annotations. For example, we recently resorted to human annotations to prepare a corpus, LabeledIn, capturing structured indications from the drug labels submitted to FDA by pharmaceutical companies. In this study, we present an automatic end-to-end framework to extract structured and normalized indications from FDA drug labels. In addition to automatic disease NER, a key component of our framework is a machine learning method that is trained on the LabeledIn corpus to classify the NER-computed disease mentions as "indication vs. non-indication." Through experiments with 500 drug labels, our end-to-end system delivered 86.3% F1-measure in drug indication extraction, with 17% improvement over baseline. Further analysis shows that the indication classifier delivers a performance comparable to human experts and that the remaining errors are mostly due to disease NER (more than 50%). Given its performance, we conclude that our end-to-end approach has the potential to significantly reduce human annotation costs.

Purification of human hepatic glutathione S-transferases and the development of a radioimmunoassay for their measurement in plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayes, J.D.; Gilligan, D.; Beckett, G.J.

1983-01-01

A purification scheme is described for six human hepatic glutathione S-transferases from a single liver. Five of the transferases comprised Ya monomers and had a molecular mass of 44000. The remaining enzyme comprised Yb monomers and had a molecular mass of 47000. Data are presented demonstrating that there are at least two distinct Ya monomers. A radioimmunoassay has been developed that has sufficient precision and sensitivity to allow direct measurement of glutathione S-transferase concentrations in unextracted plasma. A comparison of aminotransferase and glutathione S-transferase levels, in three patients who had taken a paracetamol overdose, indicated that glutathione S-transferase measurements provided a far more sensitive index of hepatocellular integrity than the more conventional aminotransferase measurements. (Auth.)

Purification of human hepatic glutathione S-transferases and the development of a radioimmunoassay for their measurement in plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayes, J.D.; Gilligan, D.; Beckett, G.J. (Edinburgh Univ. (UK). Dept. of Clinical Chemistry); Chapman, B.J. (Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh (UK))

1983-10-31

A purification scheme is described for six human hepatic glutathione S-transferases from a single liver. Five of the transferases comprised Ya monomers and had a molecular mass of 44000. The remaining enzyme comprised Yb monomers and had a molecular mass of 47000. Data are presented demonstrating that there are at least two distinct Ya monomers. A radioimmunoassay has been developed that has sufficient precision and sensitivity to allow direct measurement of glutathione S-transferase concentrations in unextracted plasma. A comparison of aminotransferase and glutathione S-transferase levels, in three patients who had taken a paracetamol overdose, indicated that glutathione S-transferase measurements provided a far more sensitive index of hepatocellular integrity than the more conventional aminotransferase measurements.

Protective effects of astragaloside IV on db/db mice with diabetic retinopathy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuzhi Ding

Full Text Available Diabetic retinopathy (DR is a common diabetic eye disease which is well-known as the result of microvascular retinal changes. Although the potential biological functions of astragaloside IV (AS IV have long been described in traditional system of medicine, its protective effect on DR remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the function and mechanism of AS IV on type 2 diabetic db/db mice.Db/db mice were treated with AS IV (4.5 mg/kg or 9 mg/kg or physiological saline by oral gavage for 20 weeks along with db/m mice. In each group, retinal ganglion cell (RGC function was measured by pattern electroretinogram (ERG and apoptosis was determined by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL staining. Blood and retina aldose reductase (AR activity were quantified by chemiluminescence analysis. The expressions of phosporylated-ERK1/2, NF-κB were determined by Western blot analysis. Furthermore, the expression of related downstream proteins were quantified by Label-based Mouse Antibody Array.Administration of AS IV significantly improved the amplitude in pattern ERG and reduced the apoptosis of RGCs.in db/db mice. Furthermore, downregulation of AR activity, ERK1/2 phosphorylation, NF-κB and related cytokine were observed in AS IV treatment group.Our study indicated that AS IV, as an inhibitor of AR, could prevent the activation of ERK1/2 phosporylation and NF-kB and further relieve the RGCs disfunction in db/db mice with DR. It has provided a basis for investigating the clinical efficacy of AR inhibitors in preventing DR.

In vivo instability of reduction-mediated 99mTc-labeled monoclonal antibody

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakahara, Harumi; Saga, Tsuneo; Endo, Keigo

1993-01-01

A murine monoclonal antibody that reacts with human osteogenic sarcoma (OST7) was reduced and directly labelled with 99m Tc without any loss of immunoreactivity. No fragmentation of the antibody was detected by high performance liquid chromatography after the labelling. However, SDS-PAGE analysis of the labelled antibody demonstrated the presence of low molecular weight species. Although more than 95% of the radioactivity remained bound at the antibody after incubation with human serum for 24 h, 99m Tc-labelled OST7 was cleared faster from the circulation than 125 I-labelled OST7 or 111 In-labelled OST7 in mice. (author)

Madumycin II inhibits peptide bond formation by forcing the peptidyl transferase center into an inactive state

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osterman, Ilya A.; Khabibullina, Nelli F.; Komarova, Ekaterina S.; Kasatsky, Pavel; Kartsev, Victor G.; Bogdanov, Alexey A.; Dontsova, Olga A.; Konevega, Andrey L.; Sergiev, Petr V.; Polikanov, Yury S. (InterBioScreen); (UIC); (MSU-Russia); (Kurchatov)

2017-05-13

The emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria is limiting the effectiveness of commonly used antibiotics, which spurs a renewed interest in revisiting older and poorly studied drugs. Streptogramins A is a class of protein synthesis inhibitors that target the peptidyl transferase center (PTC) on the large subunit of the ribosome. In this work, we have revealed the mode of action of the PTC inhibitor madumycin II, an alanine-containing streptogramin A antibiotic, in the context of a functional 70S ribosome containing tRNA substrates. Madumycin II inhibits the ribosome prior to the first cycle of peptide bond formation. It allows binding of the tRNAs to the ribosomal A and P sites, but prevents correct positioning of their CCA-ends into the PTC thus making peptide bond formation impossible. We also revealed a previously unseen drug-induced rearrangement of nucleotides U2506 and U2585 of the 23S rRNA resulting in the formation of the U2506•G2583 wobble pair that was attributed to a catalytically inactive state of the PTC. The structural and biochemical data reported here expand our knowledge on the fundamental mechanisms by which peptidyl transferase inhibitors modulate the catalytic activity of the ribosome.

Homocysteine Aggravates Cortical Neural Cell Injury through Neuronal Autophagy Overactivation following Rat Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion

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Yaqian Zhao

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Elevated homocysteine (Hcy levels have been reported to be involved in neurotoxicity after ischemic stroke. However, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood to date. In the current study, we hypothesized that neuronal autophagy activation may be involved in the toxic effect of Hcy on cortical neurons following cerebral ischemia. Brain cell injury was determined by hematoxylin-eosin (HE staining and TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL staining. The level and localization of autophagy were detected by transmission electron microscopy, western blot and immunofluorescence double labeling. The oxidative DNA damage was revealed by immunofluorescence of 8-Hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG. Hcy treatment aggravated neuronal cell death, significantly increased the formation of autophagosomes and the expression of LC3B and Beclin-1 in the brain cortex after middle cerebral artery occlusion-reperfusion (MCAO. Immunofluorescence analysis of LC3B and Beclin-1 distribution indicated that their expression occurred mainly in neurons (NeuN-positive and hardly in astrocytes (GFAP-positive. 8-OHdG expression was also increased in the ischemic cortex of Hcy-treated animals. Conversely, LC3B and Beclin-1 overexpression and autophagosome accumulation caused by Hcy were partially blocked by the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA. Hcy administration enhanced neuronal autophagy, which contributes to cell death following cerebral ischemia. The oxidative damage-mediated autophagy may be a molecular mechanism underlying neuronal cell toxicity of elevated Hcy level.

Advanced glycation end product-induced astrocytic differentiation of cultured neurospheres through inhibition of Notch-Hes1 pathway-mediated neurogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yijing; Wang, Pin; Sun, Haixia; Cai, Rongrong; Xia, Wenqing; Wang, Shaohua

2013-12-23

This study aims to investigate the roles of the Notch-Hes1 pathway in the advanced glycation end product (AGE)-mediated differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs). We prepared pLentiLox3.7 lentiviral vectors that express short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against Notch1 and transfected it into NSCs. Cell differentiation was analyzed under confocal laser-scanning microscopy. The percentage of neurons and astrocytes was quantified by normalizing the total number of TUJ1+ (Neuron-specific class III β-tubulin) and GFAP+ (Glial fibrillary acidic protein) cells to the total number of Hoechst 33342-labeled cell nuclei. The protein and gene expression of Notch-Hes1 pathway components was examined via western blot analysis and real-time PCR. After 1 week of incubation, we found that AGE-bovine serum albumin (BSA) (400 μg/mL) induced the astrocytic differentiation of cultured neurospheres and inhibited neuronal formation. The expression of Notch-Hes1 pathway components was upregulated in the cells in the AGE-BSA culture medium. Immunoblot analysis indicated that shRNA silencing of Notch1 expression in NSCs significantly increases neurogenesis and suppresses astrocytic differentiation in NSCs incubated with AGE-BSA. AGEs promote the astrocytic differentiation of cultured neurospheres by inhibiting neurogenesis through the Notch-Hes1 pathway, providing a potential therapeutic target for hyperglycemia-related cognitive deficits.

Presence of a Ca2+-sensitive CDPdiglyceride-inositol transferase in canine cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasinathan, C.; Kirchberger, M.A.

1988-01-01

Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and plasma membranes from canine left ventricle were used to evaluate the presence of the enzyme CDPdiglyceride-inositol transferase in these membranes. (K + ,-Ca 2+ )-ATPase activity, a marker for SR, was 79.2 +/- 5.0 (SE) and 11.2 +/- 2.0 μmol x mg -1 x h -1 in SR and plasma membrane preparations, respectively, and (Na + , K + )-ATPase activity, a marker for plasma membranes, was 5.6 +/- 1.2 and 99.2 +/- 8.0 μmol x mg -1 x h -1 , respectively. Contamination of SR and plasma membrane preparations by mitochondria was estimated to be 2% and 8%, respectively, and by Golgi membranes, 0.9% and 1.8%, respectively. The transferase activity detected in the plasma membrane preparation could be accounted for largely, but not entirely, by contaminating SR membranes. The pH optimum for the SR transferase activity was between 8.0 and 9.0. Ca 2+ inhibited the enzyme, half-maximal inhibition occurring at about 10 μM Ca 2+ . No loss of [ 3 H]PtdIns could be detected when membranes were incubated in the presence or absence of Ca 2+ . The Ca 2+ inhibition of the transferase was noncompetitive with respect to CDP-dipalmitin while that with respect to myo-inositol was slightly noncompetitive at low [Ca 2+ ] and became uncompetitive at higher [Ca 2+ ]. It is concluded that CDPdiglyceride-inositol transferase is present on SR membranes and is sensitive to micromolar Ca 2+ . The data are consistent with a putative role for the inhibition of the SR transferase by Ca 2+ and acidic pH in the protection of the SR against calcium overload in ischemic myocardium

Insecticide resistance and glutathione S-transferases in mosquitoes ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mosquito glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) have received considerable attention in the last 20 years because of their role in insecticide metabolism producing resistance. Many different compounds, including toxic xenobiotics and reactive products of intracellular processes such as lipid peroxidation, act as GST substrates.

Expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in footpad skin lesions with diabetic neuropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Up Noh, Sun; Lee, Won-Young; Kim, Won-Serk; Lee, Yong-Taek; Jae Yoon, Kyung

2018-01-01

Background Diabetic neuropathy originating in distal lower extremities is associated with pain early in the disease course, overwhelming in the feet. However, the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy remains unclear. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor has been implicated in the onset of neuropathic pain and the development of diabetes. Objective of this study was to observe pain syndromes elicited in the footpad of diabetic neuropathy rat model and to assess the contributory role of migration inhibitory factor in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. Methods Diabetic neuropathy was made in Sprague Dawley rats by streptozotocin. Pain threshold was evaluated using von Frey monofilaments for 24 weeks. On comparable experiment time after streptozotocin injection, all footpads were prepared for following procedures; glutathione assay, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated UTP nick end labeling staining, immunohistochemistry staining, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot. Additionally, human HaCaT skin keratinocytes were treated with methylglyoxal, transfected with migration inhibitory factor/control small interfering RNA, and prepared for real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Results As compared to sham group, pain threshold was significantly reduced in diabetic neuropathy group, and glutathione was decreased in footpad skin, simultaneously, cell death was increased. Over-expression of migration inhibitory factor, accompanied by low expression of glyoxalase-I and intraepidermal nerve fibers, was shown on the footpad skin lesions of diabetic neuropathy. But, there was no significance in expression of neurotransmitters and inflammatory mediators such as transient receptor potential vanilloid 1, mas-related G protein coupled receptor D, nuclear factor kappa B, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6 between diabetic neuropathy group and sham group. Intriguingly

Maternal exposure to hexachlorophene targets intermediate-stage progenitor cells of the hippocampal neurogenesis in rat offspring via dysfunction of cholinergic inputs by myelin vacuolation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itahashi, Megu; Abe, Hajime; Tanaka, Takeshi; Mizukami, Sayaka; Kimura, Masayuki; Yoshida, Toshinori; Shibutani, Makoto

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The effect of maternal exposure to HCP on rat hippocampal neurogenesis was examined. • HCP induces myelin vacuolation of nerve tracts in the septal–hippocampal pathway. • Myelin changes suppress Chrnb2-mediated cholinergic inputs to the dentate gyrus. • SGZ apoptosis occurs via the mitochondrial pathway and targets type-2b cells. • Dysfunction of cholinergic inputs is related to type-2b SGZ cell apoptosis. - Abstract: Hexachlorophene (HCP) is known to induce myelin vacuolation corresponding to intramyelinic edema of nerve fibers in the central and peripheral nervous system in animals. This study investigated the effect of maternal exposure to HCP on hippocampal neurogenesis in rat offspring using pregnant rats supplemented with 0 (controls), 100, or 300 ppm HCP in the diet from gestational day 6 to day 21 after delivery. On postnatal day (PND) 21, the numbers of T box brain 2 + progenitor cells and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling + apoptotic cells in the hippocampal subgranular zone (SGZ) decreased in female offspring at 300 ppm, which was accompanied by myelin vacuolation and punctate tubulin beta-3 chain staining of nerve fibers in the hippocampal fimbria. In addition, transcript levels of the cholinergic receptor, nicotinic beta 2 (Chrnb2) and B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) decreased in the dentate gyrus. HCP-exposure did not alter the numbers of SGZ proliferating cells and reelin- or calcium-binding protein-expressing γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic interneuron subpopulations in the dentate hilus on PND 21 and PND 77. Although some myelin vacuolation remained, all other changes observed in HCP-exposed offspring on PND 21 disappeared on PND 77. These results suggest that maternal HCP exposure reversibly decreases type-2b intermediate-stage progenitor cells via the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in offspring hippocampal neurogenesis at 300 ppm HCP. Neurogenesis may be affected by dysfunction

Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus: interaction with fibroblasts and muscle cells - new insights into parasite-mediated host cell cytotoxicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Chaves Vilela

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus are parasitic, flagellated protists that inhabit the urogenital tract of humans and bovines, respectively. T. vaginalis causes the most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide and has been associated with an increased risk for human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection in humans. Infections by T. foetus cause significant losses to the beef industry worldwide due to infertility and spontaneous abortion in cows. Several studies have shown a close association between trichomonads and the epithelium of the urogenital tract. However, little is known concerning the interaction of trichomonads with cells from deeper tissues, such as fibroblasts and muscle cells. Published parasite-host cell interaction studies have reported contradictory results regarding the ability of T. foetus and T. vaginalis to interact with and damage cells of different tissues. In this study, parasite-host cell interactions were examined by culturing primary human fibroblasts obtained from abdominal biopsies performed during plastic surgeries with trichomonads. In addition, mouse 3T3 fibroblasts, primary chick embryo myogenic cells and L6 muscle cells were also used as models of target cells. The parasite-host cell cultures were processed for scanning and transmission electron microscopy and were tested for cell viability and cell death. JC-1 staining, which measures mitochondrial membrane potential, was used to determine whether the parasites induced target cell damage. Terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling staining was used as an indicator of chromatin damage. The colorimetric crystal violet assay was performed to ana-lyse the cytotoxicity induced by the parasite. The results showed that T. foetus and T. vaginalis adhered to and were cytotoxic to both fibroblasts and muscle cells, indicating that trichomonas infection of the connective and muscle tissues is likely to occur; such

Enhanced tolerance and remediation of anthracene by transgenic tobacco plants expressing a fungal glutathione transferase gene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dixit, Prachy; Mukherjee, Prasun K.; Sherkhane, Pramod D.; Kale, Sharad P. [Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India); Eapen, Susan, E-mail: eapenhome@yahoo.com [Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India)

2011-08-15

Highlights: {yields} Transgenic plants expressing a TvGST gene were tested for tolerance, uptake and degradation of anthracene. {yields} Transgenic plants were more tolerant to anthracene and take up more anthracene from soil and solutions compared to control plants. {yields} Using in vitro T{sub 1} seedlings, we showed that anthracene-a three fused benzene ring compound was phytodegraded to naphthalene derivatives, having two benzene rings. {yields} This is the first time that a transgenic plant was shown to have the potential to phytodegrade anthracene. - Abstract: Plants can be used for remediation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to be a major concern for human health. Metabolism of xenobiotic compounds in plants occurs in three phases and glutathione transferases (GST) mediate phase II of xenobiotic transformation. Plants, although have GSTs, they are not very efficient for degradation of exogenous recalcitrant xenobiotics including polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Hence, heterologous expression of efficient GSTs in plants may improve their remediation and degradation potential of xenobiotics. In the present study, we investigated the potential of transgenic tobacco plants expressing a Trichoderma virens GST for tolerance, remediation and degradation of anthracene-a recalcitrant polyaromatic hydrocarbon. Transgenic plants with fungal GST showed enhanced tolerance to anthracene compared to control plants. Remediation of {sup 14}C uniformly labeled anthracene from solutions and soil by transgenic tobacco plants was higher compared to wild-type plants. Transgenic plants (T{sub 0} and T{sub 1}) degraded anthracene to naphthalene derivatives, while no such degradation was observed in wild-type plants. The present work has shown that in planta expression of a fungal GST in tobacco imparted enhanced tolerance as well as higher remediation potential of anthracene compared to wild-type plants.

Extracellular Vesicles from Human Liver Stem Cells Reduce Injury in an Ex Vivo Normothermic Hypoxic Rat Liver Perfusion Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Rigo, Federica; De Stefano, Nicola; Navarro-Tableros, Victor; David, Ezio; Rizza, Giorgia; Catalano, Giorgia; Gilbo, Nicholas; Maione, Francesca; Gonella, Federica; Roggio, Dorotea; Martini, Silvia; Patrono, Damiano; Salizzoni, Mauro; Camussi, Giovanni; Romagnoli, Renato

2018-05-01

The gold standard for organ preservation before transplantation is static cold storage, which is unable to fully protect suboptimal livers from ischemia/reperfusion injury. An emerging alternative is normothermic machine perfusion (NMP), which permits organ reconditioning. Here, we aimed to explore the feasibility of a pharmacological intervention on isolated rat livers by using a combination of NMP and human liver stem cells-derived extracellular vesicles (HLSC-EV). We established an ex vivo murine model of NMP capable to maintain liver function despite an ongoing hypoxic injury induced by hemodilution. Livers were perfused for 4 hours without (control group, n = 10) or with HLSC-EV (treated group, n = 9). Bile production was quantified; perfusate samples were collected hourly to measure metabolic (pH, pO2, pCO2) and cytolysis parameters (AST, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase). At the end of perfusion, we assessed HLSC-EV engraftment by immunofluorescence, tissue injury by histology, apoptosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay, tissue hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α, and transforming growth factor-beta 1 RNA expression by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. During hypoxic NMP, livers were able to maintain homeostasis and produce bile. In the treated group, AST (P = 0.018) and lactate dehydrogenase (P = 0.032) levels were significantly lower than those of the control group at 3 hours of perfusion, and AST levels persisted lower at 4 hours (P = 0.003). By the end of NMP, HLSC-EV had been uptaken by hepatocytes, and EV treatment significantly reduced histological damage (P = 0.030), apoptosis (P = 0.049), and RNA overexpression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α (P < 0.0001) and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (P = 0.014). HLSC-EV treatment, even in a short-duration model, was feasible and effectively reduced liver injury during hypoxic NMP.

Quantitative proteomics by amino acid labeling in C. elegans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fredens, Julius; Engholm-Keller, Kasper; Giessing, Anders

2011-01-01

We demonstrate labeling of Caenorhabditis elegans with heavy isotope-labeled lysine by feeding them with heavy isotope-labeled Escherichia coli. Using heavy isotope-labeled worms and quantitative proteomics methods, we identified several proteins that are regulated in response to loss or RNAi-med......-mediated knockdown of the nuclear hormone receptor 49 in C. elegans. The combined use of quantitative proteomics and selective gene knockdown is a powerful tool for C. elegans biology.......We demonstrate labeling of Caenorhabditis elegans with heavy isotope-labeled lysine by feeding them with heavy isotope-labeled Escherichia coli. Using heavy isotope-labeled worms and quantitative proteomics methods, we identified several proteins that are regulated in response to loss or RNAi...

A terminal-labelling microcytotoxity assay with 125I-iododeoxyuridine as a label for target cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stirrat, G.M.

1976-01-01

The development of a terminal-labelling microcytotoxicity assay is described in which target cells (fetal fibroblasts) were labelled with 125 I-iododeoxyuridine after effector (lymphoid) cells had been incubated with them for 24 h. The time-course for the development of cell-mediated cytotoxicity was assessed following allogeneic skin grafting. 'Non-specific' cytotoxicity detracts from the sensitivity of all microcytotoxicity assays and the terminal-labelling assay using 125 I is no exception. The non-specific effects can be reduced but not eliminated by the removal of adherent cells. The optimum target cell/effector cell ratio would seem to be between 1:100 and 1:250. Residual lymph node cells did not appear to incorporate enough label to affect the test results. In vivo correlates of in vitro findings are still not easy to determine

5-AIQ inhibits H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-induced apoptosis through reactive oxygen species scavenging and Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway in H9c2 cardiomyocytes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Eun-Seok; Kang, Jun Chul; Kang, Do-Hyun; Jang, Yong Chang [Department of Applied Biochemistry, Konkuk University, Chungju, Chungbuk, 380-701 (Korea, Republic of); Yi, Kyu Yang [Bio-Organic Science Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, Chungnam, 305-600 (Korea, Republic of); Chung, Hun-Jong [Industrial Medicine Department, Chungju Hospital, Konkuk Medical School, Konkuk University, Chungju, Chungbuk, 380-701 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Jong Seok [Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Taegu Health College, Taegu 702-722 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Bokyung [Department of Physiology, Konkuk Medical School, Konkuk University, Chungju, Chungbuk, 380-701 (Korea, Republic of); Feng, Zhong-Ping [Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont., Canada M5S 1A8 (Canada); Shin, Hwa-Sup, E-mail: hsshin@kku.ac.kr [Department of Applied Biochemistry, Konkuk University, Chungju, Chungbuk, 380-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-04-01

Poly(adenosine 5′-diphosphate ribose) polymerase (PARP) is a nuclear enzyme activated by DNA strand breaks and plays an important role in the tissue injury associated with ischemia and reperfusion. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of 5-aminoisoquinolinone (5-AIQ), a PARP inhibitor, against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cardiomyocytes. 5-AIQ pretreatment significantly protected against H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-induced cell death, as determined by the XTT assay, cell counting, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay, and Western blot analysis of apoptosis-related proteins such as caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2. Upregulation of antioxidant enzymes such as manganese superoxide dismutase and catalase accompanied the protective effect of 5-AIQ on H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-induced cell death. Our data also showed that 5-AIQ pretreatment protected H9c2 cells from H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-induced apoptosis by triggering activation of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), and that the protective effect of 5-AIQ was diminished by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 at a concentration that effectively abolished 5-AIQ-induced Akt and GSK-3β activation. In addition, inhibiting the Akt/GSK-3β pathway by LY294002 significantly attenuated the 5-AIQ-mediated decrease in cleaved caspase-3 and Bax activation and H9c2 cell apoptosis induction. Taken together, these results demonstrate that 5-AIQ prevents H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cells by reducing intracellular reactive oxygen species production, regulating apoptosis-related proteins, and activating the Akt/GSK-3β pathway. - Highlights: ► 5-AIQ, a PARP inhibitor, decreased H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-induced H9c2 cell death and apoptosis. ► 5-AIQ upregulated antioxidant Mn-SOD and catalase, while decreasing ROS production. ► 5-AIQ decreased H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-induced increase in cleaved caspase-3 and Bax and decrease in Bcl2. ► 5-AIQ activated Akt and GSK-3�

In vivo distribution of c-myc antisense oligodeoxynucleotides local delivered by gelatin-coated platinmn-iridium stents in rabbits and its effect on apoptosis

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

张新霞; 崔长琮; 许香广; 胡雪松; 方卫华; 邝碧娟

2004-01-01

Background Post-stenting restenosis is a significant clinical problem, involving vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs) proliferation and apoptosis. It is reported that c-myc antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ASODNs) local delivered by catheter can inhibit VSMCs proliferation. This study was designed to assess tissue distribution of c-myc ASODN local delivered using gelatin-coated platinum-iridium (Pt-Ir) stents, and its effect on apoptosis of VSMCs. Methods Gelatin-coated Pt-Ir stents that had absorbed caroboxyfluorescein-5-succimidyl ester (FAM) labeled c-myc ASODNs (550 μg per stent) were implanted into the right carotid arteries of 6 rabbits. Tissue samples were obtained at 45 minutes, 2 hours, and 6 hours. Tissue distribution of c- myc ASODNs was assessed by fluorescence microscopy. In addition, 32 rabbits were randomly divided into two groups. Rabbits in the control group (n=16) were implanted with gelatin-coated Pt-Ir stents, and those in the treatment group (n=16) were implanted with gelatin-coated stents that had absorbed c-myc ASODNs. 7, 14, 30, or 90 days (n=4, respectively, for each group) after the stenting procedure, the stented segments were harvested, and histopathological examinations were performed to calculate neointimal area and mean neointimal thickness. The expression of c-myc was assessed using in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemical methods. Apoptotic VSMCs were detected using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Results According to fluorescence microscopic results, FAM-labeled c-myc ASODNs were concentrated in the target vessel media at the 45 minutes time point, and then dispersed to the adventitia. Morphometric analysis showed that neointimal area and mean neointimal thickness increased continuously up to 90 days after stent implantation, but that total neointimal area and mean neointimal thickness were less in the treatment group than in the

Leishmanicidal activities of Artemisia annua leaf essential oil against Visceral Leishmaniasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad eIslamuddin

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Visceral leishmaniasis (VL, the second-most dreaded parasitic disease after malaria, is currently endemic in 88 countries. Dramatic increases in the rates of infection, drug resistance and non-availability of safe vaccines have highlighted the need for identification of novel and inexpensive anti-leishmanial agents from natural sources. In this study, we showed the leishmanicidal effect of essential oil from Artemisia annua leaves (AALEO against Leishmania donovani in vitro and in vivo. AALEO was extracted by hydrodistillation and characterized by GC-MS, the most abundant compounds were found to be camphor (52.06 % followed by β-caryophyllene (10.95 %. AALEO exhibited significant leishmanicidal activity against L. donovani, with 50 % inhibitory concentration of 14.63 ± 1.49 µg ml-1 and 7.3 ± 1.85 µg ml─1, respectively, against the promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes. The effect was mediated through programmed cell death as confirmed by externalization of phosphatidylserine, DNA nicking by TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL assay, dyskinetoplastidy, cell cycle arrest at sub-G0–G1 phase, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS generation in promastigotes and nitric oxide (NO generation in ex vivo model. AALEO presented no cytotoxic effects against mammalian macrophages even at 200 µg ml─1. Intra-peritoneal administration of AALEO (200 mg/ kg.b.w. to infected BALB/c mice reduced the parasite burden by almost 90 % in the liver and spleen with significant reduction in weight. There was no hepato- or nephro-toxicity as demonstrated by normal levels of serum enzymes. The promising antileishmanial activity shown by camphor-rich AALEO may provide a new lead in the treatment of VL.

Glutathione transferase mimics : Micellar catalysis of an enzymic reaction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lindkvist, Björn; Weinander, Rolf; Engman, Lars; Koetse, Marc; Engberts, Jan B.F.N.; Morgenstern, Ralf

1997-01-01

Substances that mimic the enzyme action of glutathione transferases (which serve in detoxification) are described. These micellar catalysts enhance the reaction rate between thiols and activated halogenated nitroarenes as well as alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyls. The nucleophilic aromatic

Sudha Bhattacharya Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

TSC

Bottom strand. 1. 2. 3. G A T C. 5. 1. 3. 4. 2. *. Nicking profile of EN on the 174 bp substrate. Insertion point. Bottom strand labelled 174bp substrate. Transposon insertion point. Endonuclease nicks at three hot spots. The transposon inserts at hot spot # 3 ...

Mindtagger: A Demonstration of Data Labeling in Knowledge Base Construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Jaeho; Ré, Christopher; Cafarella, Michael

2015-08-01

End-to-end knowledge base construction systems using statistical inference are enabling more people to automatically extract high-quality domain-specific information from unstructured data. As a result of deploying DeepDive framework across several domains, we found new challenges in debugging and improving such end-to-end systems to construct high-quality knowledge bases. DeepDive has an iterative development cycle in which users improve the data. To help our users, we needed to develop principles for analyzing the system's error as well as provide tooling for inspecting and labeling various data products of the system. We created guidelines for error analysis modeled after our colleagues' best practices, in which data labeling plays a critical role in every step of the analysis. To enable more productive and systematic data labeling, we created Mindtagger, a versatile tool that can be configured to support a wide range of tasks. In this demonstration, we show in detail what data labeling tasks are modeled in our error analysis guidelines and how each of them is performed using Mindtagger.

End-point effector stress mediators in neuroimmune interactions: their role in immune system homeostasis and autoimmune pathology.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitrijevic, Mirjana; Stanojevic, Stanislava; Kustrimovic, Natasa; Leposavic, Gordana

2012-04-01

Much evidence has identified a direct anatomical and functional link between the brain and the immune system, with glucocorticoids (GCs), catecholamines (CAs), and neuropeptide Y (NPY) as its end-point mediators. This suggests the important role of these mediators in immune system homeostasis and the pathogenesis of inflammatory autoimmune diseases. However, although it is clear that these mediators can modulate lymphocyte maturation and the activity of distinct immune cell types, their putative role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease is not yet completely understood. We have contributed to this field by discovering the influence of CAs and GCs on fine-tuning thymocyte negative selection and, in particular, by pointing to the putative CA-mediated mechanisms underlying this influence. Furthermore, we have shown that CAs are implicated in the regulation of regulatory T-cell development in the thymus. Moreover, our investigations related to macrophage biology emphasize the complex interaction between GCs, CAs and NPY in the modulation of macrophage functions and their putative significance for the pathogenesis of autoimmune inflammatory diseases.

A label-free electrochemiluminescent sensor for ATP detection based on ATP-dependent ligation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Tingting; Lin, Chunshui; Yao, Qiuhong; Chen, Xi

2016-07-01

In this work, we describe a new label-free, sensitive and highly selective strategy for the electrochemiluminescent (ECL) detection of ATP at the picomolar level via ATP-induced ligation. The molecular-beacon like DNA probes (P12 complex) are self-assembled on a gold electrode. The presence of ATP leads to the ligation of P12 complex which blocks the digestion by Exonuclease III (Exo III). The protected P12 complex causes the intercalation of numerous ECL indicators (Ru(phen)3(2+)) into the duplex DNA grooves, resulting in significantly amplified ECL signal output. Since the ligating site of T4 DNA ligase and the nicking site of Exo III are the same, it involves no long time of incubation for conformation change. The proposed strategy combines the amplification power of enzyme and the inherent high sensitivity of the ECL technique and enables picomolar detection of ATP. The developed strategy also shows high selectivity against ATP analogs, which makes our new label-free and highly sensitive ligation-based method a useful addition to the amplified ATP detection arena. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photoaffinity labeling of undecaprenyl pyrophosphate synthetase with a farnesyl pyrophosphate analogue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baba, T.; Muth, J.; Allen, C.M.

1985-01-01

The prenyl transferase undecaprenyl pyrophosphate synthetase was partially purified from the cytosolic fraction of Escherichia coli. Its enzymic products were characterized as a family of cis-polyprenyl phosphates, which ranged in carbon number from C55 to C25. The enzyme is constituted of two subunits of approximately 30,000 molecular weight. A radiolabeled photolabile analogue of t,t-farnesyl pyrophosphate, [ 3 H]2-diazo-3-trifluoropropionyloxy geranyl pyrophosphate, was shown to label Lactobacillus plantarum and E. coli undecaprenyl pyrophosphate synthetase on UV irradiation in the presence of isopentenyl pyrophosphate and divalent cations. The only labeled polypeptide migrated on electrophoresis in a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel at a molecular weight of approximately 30,000. No protein was radiolabeled when the natural substrate, t,t-farnesyl pyrophosphate was included in the irradiation mixture. Irradiation in the presence of MgCl 2 without isopentenyl pyrophosphate gave less labeling of the polypeptide. Irradiation with only isopentenyl pyrophosphate gave little labeling of the polypeptide. When the enzyme was irradiated with 3H-photoprobe, [ 14 C]isopentenyl pyrophosphate, and MgCl 2 , the labeled polypeptide gave a ratio of 14 C/ 3 H that indicated the product must also bind to the enzyme on irradiation. These results demonstrate the ability to radiolabel the allylic pyrophosphate binding site and possibly product binding site of undecaprenyl pyrophosphate synthetase by a process which is favored when both cosubstrate and divalent cations are present

3' RNA ligase mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends for validating viroid induced cleavage at the 3' extremity of the host mRNA.

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Adkar-Purushothama, Charith Raj; Bru, Pierrick; Perreault, Jean-Pierre

2017-12-01

5' RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5' RLM-RACE) is a widely-accepted method for the validation of direct cleavage of a target gene by a microRNA (miRNA) and viroid-derived small RNA (vd-sRNA). However, this method cannot be used if cleavage takes place in the 3' extremity of the target RNA, as this gives insufficient sequence length to design nested PCR primers for 5' RLM RACE. To overcome this hurdle, we have developed 3' RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends (3' RLM RACE). In this method, an oligonucleotide adapter having 5' adenylated and 3' blocked is ligated to the 3' end of the cleaved RNA followed by PCR amplification using gene specific primers. In other words, in 3' RLM RACE, 3' end is mapped using 5' fragment instead of small 3' fragment. The method developed here was verified by examining the bioinformatics predicted and parallel analysis of RNA ends (PARE) proved cleavage sites of chloride channel protein CLC-b-like mRNA in Potato spindle tuber viroid infected tomato plants. The 3' RLM RACE developed in this study has the potential to validate the miRNA and vd-sRNA mediated cleavage of mRNAs at its 3' untranslated region (3' UTR). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of dose rate on residual γ-H2AX levels and frequency of micronuclei in X-irradiated mouse lymphocytes.

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Turner, H C; Shuryak, I; Taveras, M; Bertucci, A; Perrier, J R; Chen, C; Elliston, C D; Johnson, G W; Smilenov, L B; Amundson, S A; Brenner, D J

2015-03-01

The biological risks associated with low-dose-rate (LDR) radiation exposures are not yet well defined. To assess the risk related to DNA damage, we compared the yields of two established biodosimetry end points, γ-H2AX and micronuclei (MNi), in peripheral mouse blood lymphocytes after prolonged in vivo exposure to LDR X rays (0.31 cGy/min) vs. acute high-dose-rate (HDR) exposure (1.03 Gy/min). C57BL/6 mice were total-body irradiated with 320 kVP X rays with doses of 0, 1.1, 2.2 and 4.45 Gy. Residual levels of total γ-H2AX fluorescence in lymphocytes isolated 24 h after the start of irradiation were assessed using indirect immunofluorescence methods. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was used to determine apoptotic cell frequency in lymphocytes sampled at 24 h. Curve fitting analysis suggested that the dose response for γ-H2AX yields after acute exposures could be described by a linear dependence. In contrast, a linear-quadratic dose-response shape was more appropriate for LDR exposure (perhaps reflecting differences in repair time after different LDR doses). Dose-rate sparing effects (P effect across the dose range 24 h or 7 days post exposure. In conclusion, the γ-H2AX biomarker showed higher sensitivity to measure dose-rate effects after low-dose LDR X rays compared to MNi formation; however, confounding factors such as variable repair times post exposure, increased cell killing and cell cycle block likely contributed to the yields of MNi with accumulating doses of ionizing radiation.

Effectiveness of sugammadex for cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

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Ozbilgin, Sule; Yılmaz, Osman; Ergur, Bekir Ugur; Hancı, Volkan; Ozbal, Seda; Yurtlu, Serhan; Gunenc, Sakize Ferim; Kuvaki, Bahar; Kucuk, Burcu Ataseven; Sisman, Ali Rıza

2016-06-01

Cerebral ischemia may cause permanent brain damage and behavioral dysfunction. The efficacy and mechanisms of pharmacological treatments administered immediately after cerebral damage are not fully known. Sugammadex is a licensed medication. As other cyclodextrins have not passed the necessary phase tests, trade preparations are not available, whereas sugammadex is frequently used in clinical anesthetic practice. Previous studies have not clearly described the effects of the cyclodextrin family on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) damage. The aim of this study was to determine whether sugammadex had a neuroprotective effect against transient global cerebral ischemia. Animals were assigned to control, sham-operated, S 16 and S 100 groups. Transient global cerebral ischemia was induced by 10-minute occlusion of the bilateral common carotid artery, followed by 24-hour reperfusion. At the end of the experiment, neurological behavior scoring was performed on the rats, followed by evaluation of histomorphological and biochemical measurements. Sugammadex 16 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg improved neurological outcome, which was associated with reductions in both histological and neurological scores. The hippocampus TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling) and caspase results in the S 16 and S 100 treatment groups were significantly lower than those of the I/R group. Neurological scores in the treated groups were significantly higher than those of the I/R group. The study showed that treatment with 16 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg sugammadex had a neuroprotective effect in a transient global cerebral I/R rat model. However, 100 mg/kg sugammadex was more neuroprotective in rats. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Taiwan.

Effectiveness of sugammadex for cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

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Sule Ozbilgin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Cerebral ischemia may cause permanent brain damage and behavioral dysfunction. The efficacy and mechanisms of pharmacological treatments administered immediately after cerebral damage are not fully known. Sugammadex is a licensed medication. As other cyclodextrins have not passed the necessary phase tests, trade preparations are not available, whereas sugammadex is frequently used in clinical anesthetic practice. Previous studies have not clearly described the effects of the cyclodextrin family on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R damage. The aim of this study was to determine whether sugammadex had a neuroprotective effect against transient global cerebral ischemia. Animals were assigned to control, sham-operated, S 16 and S 100 groups. Transient global cerebral ischemia was induced by 10-minute occlusion of the bilateral common carotid artery, followed by 24-hour reperfusion. At the end of the experiment, neurological behavior scoring was performed on the rats, followed by evaluation of histomorphological and biochemical measurements. Sugammadex 16 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg improved neurological outcome, which was associated with reductions in both histological and neurological scores. The hippocampus TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling and caspase results in the S 16 and S 100 treatment groups were significantly lower than those of the I/R group. Neurological scores in the treated groups were significantly higher than those of the I/R group. The study showed that treatment with 16 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg sugammadex had a neuroprotective effect in a transient global cerebral I/R rat model. However, 100 mg/kg sugammadex was more neuroprotective in rats.

Mycobacterial nonhomologous end joining mediates mutagenic repair of chromosomal double-strand DNA breaks.

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Stephanou, Nicolas C; Gao, Feng; Bongiorno, Paola; Ehrt, Sabine; Schnappinger, Dirk; Shuman, Stewart; Glickman, Michael S

2007-07-01

Bacterial nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) is a recently described DNA repair pathway best characterized in mycobacteria. Bacterial NHEJ proteins LigD and Ku have been analyzed biochemically, and their roles in linear plasmid repair in vivo have been verified genetically; yet the contributions of NHEJ to repair of chromosomal DNA damage are unknown. Here we use an extensive set of NHEJ- and homologous recombination (HR)-deficient Mycobacterium smegmatis strains to probe the importance of HR and NHEJ in repairing diverse types of chromosomal DNA damage. An M. smegmatis Delta recA Delta ku double mutant has no apparent growth defect in vitro. Loss of the NHEJ components Ku and LigD had no effect on sensitivity to UV radiation, methyl methanesulfonate, or quinolone antibiotics. NHEJ deficiency had no effect on sensitivity to ionizing radiation in logarithmic- or early-stationary-phase cells but was required for ionizing radiation resistance in late stationary phase in 7H9 but not LB medium. In addition, NHEJ components were required for repair of I-SceI mediated chromosomal double-strand breaks (DSBs), and in the absence of HR, the NHEJ pathway rapidly mutates the chromosomal break site. The molecular outcomes of NHEJ-mediated chromosomal DSB repair involve predominantly single-nucleotide insertions at the break site, similar to previous findings using plasmid substrates. These findings demonstrate that prokaryotic NHEJ is specifically required for DSB repair in late stationary phase and can mediate mutagenic repair of homing endonuclease-generated chromosomal DSBs.

Caspase-Independent Apoptosis Induced by Reperfusion Following Ischemia without Bile Duct Occlusion in Rat Liver.

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Matsui, Nobuaki; Yoshioka, Rie; Nozawa, Asako; Kobayashi, Naonobu; Shichijo, Yukari; Yoshikawa, Tadatoshi; Akagi, Masaaki

2017-01-01

The contribution of caspases to hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced apoptosis has not been completely understood yet. Several studies have demonstrated increased caspase activity during I/R and the protective effect of caspase inhibitors against I/R injuries. However, reports with opposing results also exist. Herein, we examined the contribution of caspases to the I/R-induced hepatic apoptosis in rats using caspase inhibitors and specific substrates of caspases. Hepatic I/R was induced via a 2-h occlusion of the portal vein and the hepatic artery, without conducting bile duct occlusion. DNA laddering and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) nick end-labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells were increased at 3 h after reperfusion. Pretreatment with caspase inhibitors (Z-Asp-2,6-dichlorobenzoyloxymethylketone (Z-Asp-cmk) 2 or 10 mg/kg intravenously (i.v.), 20 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.), Z-Val-Ala-Asp(OMe)-fluoromethylketone (Z-VAD-fmk) 3 mg/kg i.v.) failed to reduce apoptosis induced by I/R. Interestingly, apoptosis induced by the portal triad (hepatic artery, portal vein, and bile duct) occlusion/reperfusion could be marginally attenuated using Z-Asp-cmk (2 mg/kg i.v.). The cleavage activity for Ac-DEVD-α-(4-methylcoumaryl-7-amide) (MCA), a caspase-3/7/8/9 substrate, was significantly increased by I/R. Conversely, the cleavage activities for Ac-DNLD-MCA and MCA-VDQVDGW[K-DNP]-NH 2 , specific substrates for caspase-3 and -7 respectively, were decreased by I/R. Protein expression of the cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein 2 (c-IAP2), an endogenous caspase inhibitor, was increased by ischemia. Nuclear translocation of the apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), an initiator protein of caspase-independent apoptosis, was also increased during I/R. These results suggest that caspases are inhibited by c-IAP2 induced during ischemia and that AIF may be involved in initiation of apoptosis induced by hepatic I/R without

The radical scavenger edaravone improves neurologic function and perihematomal glucose metabolism after acute intracerebral hemorrhage.

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Shang, Hanbing; Cui, Derong; Yang, Dehua; Liang, Sheng; Zhang, Weifeng; Zhao, Weiguo

2015-01-01

Oxidative injury caused by reactive oxygen species plays an important role in the progression of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)-induced secondary brain injury. Previous studies have demonstrated that the free radical scavenger edaravone may prevent neuronal injury and brain edema after ICH. However, the influence of edaravone on cerebral metabolism in the early stages after ICH and the underlying mechanism have not been fully investigated. In the present study, we investigated the effect of edaravone on perihematomal glucose metabolism using (18)F-fluorordeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Additionally, the neurologic deficits, brain edemas, and cell death that followed ICH were quantitatively analyzed. After blood infusion, the rats treated with edaravone showed significant improvement in both forelimb placing and corner turn tests compared with those treated with vehicle. Moreover, the brain water content of the edaravone-treated group was significantly decreased compared with that of the vehicle group on day 3 after ICH. PET/CT images of ICH rats exhibited obvious decreases in FDG standardized uptake values in perihematomal region on day 3, and the lesion-to-normal ratio of the edaravone-treated ICH rats was significantly increased compared with that of the control rats. Calculation of the brain injury volumes from the PET/CT images revealed that the volumes of the blood-induced injuries were significantly smaller in the edaravone group compared with the vehicle group. Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase-mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling assays performed 3 days after ICH revealed that the numbers of apoptotic cells in perihematomal region of edaravone-treated ICH rats were decreased relative to the vehicle group. Thus, the present study demonstrates that edaravone has scavenging properties that attenuate neurologic behavioral deficits and brain edema in the early period of ICH. Additionally, edaravone may improve

Apoptosis patterns in eutopic and ectopic endometrium, adhesions and normal-looking peritoneum from women with or without endometriosis.

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Hassa, H; Tanir, H Mete; Tekin, B; Artan, S; Dundar, E; Kirilmaz, S D; Sahin Mutlu, F

2009-08-01

To assess the apoptosis rate in eutopic and ectopic endometrial stromal and glandular cells, normal peritoneum and adhesions in women with endometriosis. A total number of 97 women with (n:60) and without (n:37) histopathologically confirmed endometriosis who underwent laparoscopy or laparotomy in the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycles for pain and infertility were included in this study. Stage I/II and stage III/IV were categorized as early staged and late-staged endometriosis. The endometrial samples were obtained with a Novack cannula from the corpus of the uterus. Normal-looking peritoneum, peritoneal implants and adhesions were sampled and fixed in formaldehyde for immunohistochemical staining with Bcl-2 and Bax. Tissue samples were fixed in formaldehyde for the assessment of apoptosis via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) and M30 cytoDEATH antibody. The intensity of Bax staining of normal-looking peritoneum in early staged endometriosis was higher, compared to women with late-staged and women without endometriosis (P = 0.03). However, degree of Bcl-2 staining did not differ among early and late-staged endometriosis and women without endometriosis (P = 0.1). In terms of Bcl-2 and Bax staining in the stromal and glandular parts of the eutopic endometria, no significant differences were detected among three groups. In cases with early- and late-staged endometriosis the intensity of Bax and Bcl-2 stainings did not differ in both stromal and glandular parts of ectopic endometria. Number of cells with positive apoptotic signals assessed via TUNEL (P = 1.0) and M30 cytoDEATH antibody (P = 0.59) in normal-looking peritoneum did not differ between three groups. In addition, no difference in term of numbers of apoptotic cells obtained from adhesions was observed between three groups (for TUNEL, P = 0.29, for M30, P = 0.19). Apoptosis patterns did not differ in the eutopic and ectopic

Overexpression of HIPK2 attenuates spinal cord injury in rats by modulating apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation.

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Li, Renbo; Shang, Jingbo; Zhou, Wei; Jiang, Li; Xie, Donghui; Tu, Guanjun

2018-04-09

HIPK2 is considered to be a tumor suppressor. It also has been implicated in several functions such as apoptosis and inflammation that are linked to spinal cord injury (SCI). However, whether HIPK2 ameliorates the neurological pain of SCI remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of HIPK2 on neurological function, oxidative stress, levels of inflammatory cytokines and expression of Bcl-2/Bax in an SCI model. Firstly, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of HIPK2 on neurological pain in the SCI rat using the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan scores and H & E staining. Overexpression of HIPK2 significantly elevated the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and reduced the mRNA expression of Nogo-A and RhoA in SCI rats. Furthermore, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays showed that overexpression of HIPK2 significantly reduced the number of apoptotic cells. Overexpression of HIPK2 also decreased expression of Bax and Caspase-3 and elevated expression of Bcl-2 in the SCI model, indicating that HIPK2 exhibited its protective activity by inhibiting SCI-induced apoptosis. Then, we measured the serum concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX). We also determined the mRNA and protein levels of nuclear factor-κB p65 unit, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin (IL)-1β. HIPK2 overexpression reduced oxidative stress and the levels of inflammatory cytokines compared with SCI control animals. Additionally, acetylation of HIPK2 was reduced in SCI rats. Overexpression of HIPK2 could enhance autophagy by elevating the expression of Beclin-1 and LC3-II while autophagy is regarded as a beneficial regulator to improve spinal cord injury. Together, overexpression of HIPK2 improved contusive SCI induced pain by modulating oxidative stress, Bcl‑2 and Bax signaling, and

5-HMF attenuates striatum oxidative damage via Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway following transient global cerebral ischemia.

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Ya, Bai-Liu; Li, Hong-Fang; Wang, Hai-Ying; Wu, Fei; Xin, Qing; Cheng, Hong-Ju; Li, Wen-Juan; Lin, Na; Ba, Zai-Hua; Zhang, Ru-Juan; Liu, Qian; Li, Ya-Nan; Bai, Bo; Ge, Feng

2017-01-01

Recent studies have shown 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (5-HMF) has favorable biological effects, and its neuroprotection in a variety of neurological diseases has been noted. Our previous study showed that treatment of 5-HMF led to protection against permanent global cerebral ischemia. However, the underlying mechanisms in cerebral ischemic injury are not fully understood. This study was conducted to investigate the neuroprotective effect of 5-HMF and elucidate the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) signaling pathway mechanism in the striatum after transient global cerebral ischemia. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to bilateral common carotid artery occlusion for 20 min and sacrificed 24 h after reperfusion. 5-HMF (12 mg/kg) or an equal volume of vehicle was intraperitoneally injected 30 min before ischemia and 5 min after the onset of reperfusion. At 24 h after reperfusion, neurological function was evaluated by neurological disability status scale, locomotor activity test and inclined beam walking test. Histological injury of the striatum was observed by cresyl violet staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dNTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Oxidative stress was evaluated by the carbonyl groups introduced into proteins, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based measurement was used to detect Nrf2 DNA binding activity. Nrf2 and its downstream ARE pathway protein expression such as heme oxygenase-1, NAD (P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit and glutamate-cysteine ligase modulatory subunit were detected by western blot. Our results showed that 5-HMF treatment significantly ameliorated neurological deficits, reduced brain water content, attenuated striatum neuronal damage, decreased the carbonyl groups and MDA levels, and activated Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway. Taken together, these results demonstrated that

Administration of Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid Attenuates Early Brain Injury via Akt Pathway Activation

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Dongdong Sun

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Traumatic brain injury (TBI is one of the leading causes of trauma-induced mortality and disability, and emerging studies have shown that endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of TBI. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA, a hydrophilic bile acid, has been reported to act as an ER stress inhibitor and chemical chaperone and to have the potential to attenuate apoptosis and inflammation. To study the effects of TUDCA on brain injury, we subjected mice to TBI with a controlled cortical impact (CCI device. Using western blotting, we first examined TBI-induced changes in the expression levels of GRP78, an ER stress marker, p-PERK, PERK, p-eIF2a, eIF2a, ATF4, p-Akt, Akt, Pten, Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-12 and CHOP, as well as changes in the mRNA levels of Akt, GRP78, Caspase-12 and CHOP using RT-PCR. Neuronal cell death was assessed by a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL assay, and CHOP expression in neuronal cells was detected by double-immunofluorescence staining. Neurological and motor deficits were assessed by modified neurological severity scores (mNSS and beam balance and beam walking tests, and brain water content was also assessed. Our results indicated that ER stress peaked at 72 h after TBI and that TUDCA abolished ER stress and inhibited p-PERK, p-eIF2a, ATF4, Pten, Caspase-12 and CHOP expression levels. Moreover, our results show that TUDCA also improved neurological function and alleviated brain oedema. Additionally, TUDCA increased p-Akt expression and the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. However, the administration of the Akt inhibitor MK2206 or siRNA targeting of Akt abolished the beneficial effects of TUDCA. Taken together, our results indicate that TUDCA may attenuate early brain injury via Akt pathway activation.

High glucose alters the expression of genes involved in proliferation and cell-fate specification of embryonic neural stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, J; Tay, S S W; Ling, E A; Dheen, S T

2006-05-01

Maternal diabetes induces neural tube defects during embryogenesis. Since the neural tube is derived from neural stem cells (NSCs), it is hypothesised that in diabetic pregnancy neural tube defects result from altered expression of developmental control genes, leading to abnormal proliferation and cell-fate choice of NSCs. Cell viability, proliferation index and apoptosis of NSCs and differentiated cells from mice exposed to physiological or high glucose concentration medium were examined by a tetrazolium salt assay, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling and immunocytochemistry. Expression of developmental genes, including sonic hedgehog (Shh), bone morphogenetic protein 4 (Bmp4), neurogenin 1/2 (Neurog1/2), achaete-scute complex-like 1 (Ascl1), oligodendrocyte transcription factor 1 (Olig1), oligodendrocyte lineage transcription factor 2 (Olig2), hairy and enhancer of split 1/5 (Hes1/5) and delta-like 1 (Dll1), was analysed by real-time RT-PCR. Proliferation index and neuronal specification in the forebrain of embryos at embryonic day 11.5 were examined histologically. High glucose decreased the proliferation of NSCs and differentiated cells. The incidence of apoptosis was increased in NSCs treated with high glucose, but not in the differentiated cells. High glucose also accelerated neuronal and glial differentiation from NSCs. The decreased proliferation index and early differentiation of neurons were evident in the telencephalon of embryos derived from diabetic mice. Exposure to high glucose altered the mRNA expression levels of Shh, Bmp4, Neurog1/2, Ascl1, Hes1, Dll1 and Olig1 in NSCs and Shh, Dll1, Neurog1/2 and Hes5 in differentiated cells. The changes in proliferation and differentiation of NSCs exposed to high glucose are associated with altered expression of genes that are involved in cell-cycle progression and cell-fate specification during neurulation. These changes may form the

Thioredoxin and impaired spatial learning and memory in the rats exposed to intermittent hypoxia

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

YANG Xiu-hong; LIU Hui-guo; LIU Xue; CHEN Jun-nan

2012-01-01

Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can cause cognitive dysfunction and may be a reversible cause of cognitive loss in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).Chronic exposure to intermittent hypoxia (IH),such as encountered in OSA,is marked by neurodegenerative changes in rat brain.We investigated the change of thioredoxin (Trx),spatial learning and memory in rats exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH).Methods Forty healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups of ten each:a CIH+normal saline (CIH+NS group),a N-acetylcystein-treated CIH (CIH+NAC) group,a sham CIH group (sham CIH+NS),and a sham NAC-treated sham CIH (CIH+NAC) group.Spatial learning and memory in each group was assessed with the Morris water maze.Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to examine mRNA and protein expression of Trx in the hippocampus tissue.The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method was used to detect the apoptotic cells of the hippocampus CA1 region.Results ClH-rats showed impaired spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze,including longer mean latencies for the target platform,reduced numbers of passes over the previous target platform and a smaller percentage of time spent in the target quadrant.Trx mRNA and protein levels were significantly decreased in the CIH-hippocampus,meanwhile,an elevated apoptotic index revealed apoptosis of hippocampal neurons of rats exposed to CIH.The rats,which acted better in the Morris water maze,showed higher levels of the Trx mRNA and protein in the hippocampus;apoptotic index of the neurons in the hippocampus of each group was negatively correlated with the Trx mRNA and protein levels.Conclusion The Trx deficit likely plays an important role in the impaired spatial learning and memory in the rats exposed to CIH and may work through the apoptosis of neurons in the hippocampus.

A new step toward the artificial ovary: survival and proliferation of isolated murine follicles after autologous transplantation in a fibrin scaffold.

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Luyckx, Valérie; Dolmans, Marie-Madeleine; Vanacker, Julie; Legat, Camille; Fortuño Moya, Cristina; Donnez, Jacques; Amorim, Christiani Andrade

2014-04-01

To create an artificial ovary to provide an alternative way of restoring fertility in patients who cannot benefit from transplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue due to the threat of reintroducing malignant cells. In vivo experimental study. Gynecology research unit in a university hospital. Six-week-old female NMRI mice. Autografting of isolated preantral follicles and ovarian cells (OCs) encapsulated in two fibrin matrices containing low concentrations of fibrinogen (F; mg/mL) and thrombin (T; IU/mL): F12.5/T1 and F25/T4. Follicular density and development, OC survival and proliferation, inflammatory response, and vascularization. After 1 week, the follicle recovery rate ranged from 30.8% (F25/T4) to 31.8% (F12.5/T1). With both fibrin formulations, all follicles were found to be alive or minimally damaged, as demonstrated by terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay, and at the growing stage (primary, secondary, and antral follicles), confirmed by Ki67 immunostaining. Isolated OCs also survived and proliferated after grafting, as evidenced by <1% apoptotic cells and a high proportion of Ki67-positive cells. Vessels were found in both fibrin formulations, and the global vascular surface area varied from 1.35% (F25/T4) to 1.88% (F12.5/T1). Numerous CD45-positive cells were also observed in both F25/T4 and F12.5/T1 combinations. The present study is the first to show survival and growth of isolated murine ovarian follicles 1 week after autotransplantation of isolated OCs in a fibrin scaffold. The results indicate that fibrin is a promising candidate as a matrix for the construction of an artificial ovary. Xenotransplantation of isolated human follicles and OCs is the necessary next step to validate these findings. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Echinophora platyloba DC (Apiaceae crude extract induces apoptosis in human prostate adenocarcinoma cells (PC 3

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Fatemeh Zare Shahneh

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Prostate cancer is the second leading malignancy worldwide and the second prominent cause of cancer-related deaths among men. Therefore, there is a serious necessity for finding advanced alternative therapeutic measures against this lethal malignancy. In this article, we report the cytotoxicity and the mechanism of cell death of the methanolic extract prepared from Echinophora platyloba DC plant against human prostate adenocarcinoma PC 3 cell line and Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells HUVEC cell line. Methods: Cytotoxicity and viability of the methanolic extract were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT assay and dye exclusion assay. Cell death enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA was employed to quantify the nucleosome production resulting from nuclear DNA fragmentation during apoptosis and determine whether the mechanism involves induction of apoptosis or necrosis. The cell death was identified as apoptosis using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL assay and DNA fragmentation gel electrophoresis. Results: E. platyloba could decrease cell viability in malignant cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The IC50 values against PC 3 were determined as 236.136 ± 12.4, 143.400 ± 7.2, and 69.383 ± 1.29 μg/ml after 24, 36, and 48 h, respectively, but there was no significant activity in HUVEC normal cell (IC50 > 800 μg/ml. Morphological characterizations and DNA laddering assay showed that the methanolic extract treated cells displayed marked apoptotic characteristics such as nuclear fragmentation, appearance of apoptotic bodies, and DNA laddering fragment. Increase in an early apoptotic population was observed in a dose-dependent manner. PC 3 cell death elicited by the extract was found to be apoptotic in nature based a clear indication of TUNEL assay and gel electrophoresis DNA fragmentation, which is a hallmark of apoptosis

The effects of erdosteine, N-acetylcysteine, and vitamin E on nicotine-induced apoptosis of pulmonary cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demiralay, Rezan; Guersan, Nesrin; Erdem, Havva

2006-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate the frequency of apoptosis in the pulmonary epithelial cells of rats after intratraperitoneal nicotine injection, in order to examine the role of inflammatory markers [myeloperoxidase (MPO) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)] in nicotine-induced lung damage, and to determine the protective effects of three known antioxidant agents [N-acetylcysteine (NAC), erdosteine, and vitamin E] on the lung toxicity of nicotine in the lungs. Female Wistar rats were divided into seven groups, each composed of nine rats: two negative control groups, two positive control groups, one erdosteine-treated group (500 mg/kg), one NAC-treated group (500 mg/kg), and one vitamin E-treated group (500 mg/kg). Nicotine was injected intraperitoneally at a dosage of 0.6 mg/kg for 21 days. Following nicotine injection, the antioxidants were administered orally, treatment was continued until the rats were killed. Lung tissue samples were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H and E) for histopathological assessments. The apoptosis level in the lung bronchiolar and alveolar epithelium was determined by using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) method. Cytoplasmic TNF-α in the bronchiolar and alveolar epithelial cells and the lung MPO activity were evaluated immunohistochemically. The protective effect of vitamin E on lung histology was stronger than that of erdosteine or NAC. Treatment with erdosteine, NAC, and vitamin E significantly reduced the rate of nicotine-induced pulmonary epithelial cell apoptosis, and there were no significant differences in apoptosis among the three antioxidants groups. Erdosteine, NAC, and vitamin E significantly reduced the increases in TNF-α staining and lung MPO activity. The effects of erdosteine on the increases in the local TNF-α level and lung MPO activity were weaker than that of NAC or vitamin E. This findings suggest that erdosteine and NAC can be as effective as vitamin

Niclosamide suppresses hepatoma cell proliferation via the Wnt pathway

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Tomizawa M

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Minoru Tomizawa,1 Fuminobu Shinozaki,2 Yasufumi Motoyoshi,3 Takao Sugiyama,4 Shigenori Yamamoto,5 Makoto Sueishi,4 Takanobu Yoshida6 1Department of Gastroenterology, 2Department of Radiology, 3Department of Neurology, 4Department of Rheumatology, 5Department of Pediatrics, 6Department of Internal Medicine, National Hospital Organization Shimoshizu Hospital, Yotsukaido City, Chiba, Japan Background: The Wnt pathway plays an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis. We analyzed the association of the Wnt pathway with the proliferation of hepatoma cells using Wnt3a and niclosamide, a drug used to treat tapeworm infection. Methods: We performed an MTS assay to determine whether Wnt3a stimulated proliferation of Huh-6 and Hep3B human hepatoma cell lines after 72 hours of incubation with Wnt3a in serum-free medium. The cells were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL after 48 hours of incubation. RNA was isolated 48 hours after addition of Wnt3a or niclosamide, and cyclin D1 expression levels were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The promoter activity of T-cell factor was analyzed by luciferase assay 48 hours after transfection of TOPflash. Western blot analysis was performed with antibodies against β-catenin, dishevelled 2, and cyclin D1. Results: Cell proliferation increased with Wnt3a. Niclosamide suppressed proliferation with or without Wnt3a. Hematoxylin and eosin and TUNEL staining suggested that apoptosis occurred in cells with niclosamide. Cyclin D1 was upregulated in the presence of Wnt3a and downregulated with addition of niclosamide. The promoter activity of T-cell factor increased with Wnt3a, whereas T-cell factor promoter activity decreased with niclosamide. Western blot analysis showed that Wnt3a upregulated β-catenin, dishevelled 2, and cyclin D1, while niclosamide downregulated them. Conclusion: Niclosamide is a potential

Synovial tissue hypoxia and inflammation in vivo.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Ng, C T

2012-02-01

INTRODUCTION: Hypoxia is a microenvironmental feature in the inflamed joint, which promotes survival advantage for cells. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of partial oxygen pressure in the synovial tissue (tPO(2)) in patients with inflammatory arthritis with macroscopic\\/microscopic inflammation and local levels of proinflammatory mediators. METHODS: Patients with inflammatory arthritis underwent full clinical assessment and video arthroscopy to quantify macroscopic synovitis and measure synovial tPO(2) under direct visualisation. Cell specific markers (CD3 (T cells), CD68 (macrophages), Ki67 (cell proliferation) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (cell apoptosis)) were quantified by immunohistology. In vitro migration was assessed in primary and normal synoviocytes (synovial fibroblast cells (SFCs)) using a wound repair scratch assay. Levels of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), interleukin 1beta (IL1beta), interferon gamma (IFNgamma), IL6, macrophage inflammatory protein 3alpha (MIP3alpha) and IL8 were quantified, in matched serum and synovial fluid, by multiplex cytokine assay and ELISA. RESULTS: The tPO(2) was 22.5 (range 3.2-54.1) mm Hg and correlated inversely with macroscopic synovitis (r=-0.421, p=0.02), sublining CD3 cells (-0.611, p<0.01) and sublining CD68 cells (r=-0.615, p<0.001). No relationship with cell proliferation or apoptosis was found. Primary and normal SFCs exposed to 1% and 3% oxygen (reflecting the median tPO(2) in vivo) induced cell migration. This was coupled with significantly higher levels of synovial fluid tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), IL1beta, IFNgamma and MIP3alpha in patients with tPO(2) <20 mm Hg (all p values <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to show a direct in vivo correlation between synovial tPO(2), inflammation and cell migration, thus it is proposed that hypoxia is a possible primary driver of inflammatory processes in the arthritic joint.

Proanthocyanidins Attenuation of Chronic Lead-Induced Liver Oxidative Damage in Kunming Mice via the Nrf2/ARE Pathway

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Miao Long

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Lead is harmful for human health and animals. Proanthocyanidins (PCs, a natural antioxidant, possess a broad spectrum of pharmacological and medicinal properties. However, its protective effects against lead-induced liver damage have not been clarified. This study was aimed to evaluate the protective effect of PCs on the hepatotoxicity of male Kunming mice induced by chronic lead exposure. A total of 70 healthy male Kunming mice were averagely divided into four groups: control group, i.e., the group exposed to lead, the group treated with PCs, and the group co-treated with lead and PCs. The mice exposed to lead were given water containing 0.2% lead acetate. Mice treated in the PCs and PCs lead co-treated groups were given PC (100 mg/kg in 0.9% saline by oral gavage. Lead exposure caused a significant elevation in the liver function parameters, lead level, lipid peroxidation, and inhibition of antioxidant enzyme activities. The induction of oxidative stress and histological alterations in the liver were minimized by co-treatment with PCs. Meanwhile, the number of Transferase-Mediated Deoxyuridine Triphosphate-Biotin Nick End Labeling (TUNEL-positive cells was significantly reduced in the PCs/lead co-treated group compared to the lead group. In addition, the lead group showed an increase in the expression level of Bax, while the expression of Bcl-2 was decreased. Furthermore, the lead group showed an increase in the expression level of endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress-related genes and protein (GRP78 and CHOP. Co-treated with PCs significantly reversed these expressions in the liver. PCs were, therefore, demonstrated to have protective, antioxidant, and anti-ER stress and anti-apoptotic activities in liver damage caused by chronic lead exposure in the Kunming mouse. This may be due to the ability of PCs to enhance the ability of liver tissue to protect against oxidative stress via the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway, resulting in decreasing ER stress

Aconitine-induced Ca2+ overload causes arrhythmia and triggers apoptosis through p38 MAPK signaling pathway in rats

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Sun, Gui-bo; Sun, Hong; Meng, Xiang-bao; Hu, Jin; Zhang, Qiang; Liu, Bo; Wang, Min; Xu, Hui-bo; Sun, Xiao-bo

2014-01-01

Aconitine is a major bioactive diterpenoid alkaloid with high content derived from herbal aconitum plants. Emerging evidence indicates that voltage-dependent Na + channels have pivotal roles in the cardiotoxicity of aconitine. However, no reports are available on the role of Ca 2+ in aconitine poisoning. In this study, we explored the importance of pathological Ca 2+ signaling in aconitine poisoning in vitro and in vivo. We found that Ca 2+ overload lead to accelerated beating rhythm in adult rat ventricular myocytes and caused arrhythmia in conscious freely moving rats. To investigate effects of aconitine on myocardial injury, we performed cytotoxicity assay in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs), as well as measured lactate dehydrogenase level in the culture medium of NRVMs and activities of serum cardiac enzymes in rats. The results showed that aconitine resulted in myocardial injury and reduced NRVMs viability dose-dependently. To confirm the pro-apoptotic effects, we performed flow cytometric detection, cardiac histology, transmission electron microscopy and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay. The results showed that aconitine stimulated apoptosis time-dependently. The expression analysis of Ca 2+ handling proteins demonstrated that aconitine promoted Ca 2+ overload through the expression regulation of Ca 2+ handling proteins. The expression analysis of apoptosis-related proteins revealed that pro-apoptotic protein expression was upregulated, and anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2 expression was downregulated. Furthermore, increased phosphorylation of MAPK family members, especially the P-P38/P38 ratio was found in cardiac tissues. Hence, our results suggest that aconitine significantly aggravates Ca 2+ overload and causes arrhythmia and finally promotes apoptotic development via phosphorylation of P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. - Highlights: • Aconitine-induced Ca 2+ overload causes arrhythmia in rats

Double suicide genes selectively kill human umbilical vein endothelial cells

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Liu Lunxu

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To construct a recombinant adenovirus containing CDglyTK double suicide genes and evaluate the killing effect of the double suicide genes driven by kinase domain insert containing receptor (KDR promoter on human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Methods Human KDR promoter, Escherichia coli (E. coli cytosine deaminase (CD gene and the herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase (TK gene were cloned using polymerase chain reaction (PCR. Plasmid pKDR-CDglyTK was constructed with the KDR promoter and CDglyTK genes. A recombinant adenoviral plasmid AdKDR-CDglyTK was then constructed and transfected into 293 packaging cells to grow and harvest adenoviruses. KDR-expressing human umbilical vein endothelial cells (ECV304 and KDR-negative liver cancer cell line (HepG2 were infected with the recombinant adenoviruses at different multiplicity of infection (MOI. The infection rate was measured by green fluorescent protein (GFP expression. The infected cells were cultured in culture media containing different concentrations of prodrugs ganciclovir (GCV and/or 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC. The killing effects were measured using two different methods, i.e. annexin V-FITC staining and terminal transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL staining. Results Recombinant adenoviruses AdKDR-CDglyTK were successfully constructed and they infected ECV304 and HepG2 cells efficiently. The infection rate was dependent on MOI of recombinant adenoviruses. ECV304 cells infected with AdKDR-CDglyTK were highly sensitive to GCV and 5-FC. The cell survival rate was dependent on both the concentration of the prodrugs and the MOI of recombinant adenoviruses. In contrast, there were no killing effects in the HepG2 cells. The combination of two prodrugs was much more effective in killing ECV304 cells than GCV or 5-FC alone. The growth of transgenic ECV304 cells was suppressed in the presence of prodrugs. Conclusion AdKDR-CDglyTK/double prodrog system may be a useful

Apoptosis is increased and cell proliferation is decreased in out-of-phase endometria from infertile and recurrent abortion patients

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Irigoyen Marcela

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Various endometrial abnormalities have been associated with luteal phase deficiency: a significant dyssynchrony in the maturation of the glandular epithelium and the stroma and a prevalence of out-of-phase endometrial biopsy specimens. Out-of phase endometrium is a controversial disorder related to failed implantation, infertility and early pregnancy loss. Given that the regulation of the apoptotic process in endometrium of luteal phase deficiency is still unknown, the aim of this study was to evaluate cell proliferation, apoptosis and the levels of the main effector caspase, caspase-3 in the luteal in-phase and out-of-phase endometrium. Methods Thirty-seven endometrial samples from sterile or recurrent abortion patients were included in this study: 21 in-phase samples (controls and 16 samples with out-of-phase endometrium. Biopsy specimens of eutopic endometrium were obtained from all subjects during days 21-25 of the menstrual cycle. The endometrium with endometrial maturity of cycle day 25 or less at the time of menstruation was considered out-of phase. Endometrial tissues were fixed in 10% buffered formaldehyde. For apoptosis quantification, sections were processed for in situ immunohistochemical localization of nuclei exhibiting DNA fragmentation, by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT-mediated dUTP digoxygenin nick-end labeling (TUNEL technique. Expressions of Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA as a marker of cell proliferation, and of cleaved caspase-3 as a marker of apoptosis, were assessed by immunohistochemistry in the luteal in-phase and out-of-phase endometrium from infertile and recurrent abortion patients. Results Luteal out-of-phase endometrium had increased apoptosis levels compared to in-phase endometrium (p Conclusions this study represents the first report describing variations at the cell proliferation and cell death levels in the out-of-phase endometrium in comparison with in

METHAMPHETAMINE-INDUCED CELL DEATH: SELECTIVE VULNERABILITY IN NEURONAL SUBPOPULATIONS OF THE STRIATUM IN MICE

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ZHU, J. P. Q.; XU, W.; ANGULO, J. A.

2010-01-01

Methamphetamine (METH) is an illicit and potent psychostimulant, which acts as an indirect dopamine agonist. In the striatum, METH has been shown to cause long lasting neurotoxic damage to dopaminergic nerve terminals and recently, the degeneration and death of striatal cells. The present study was undertaken to identify the type of striatal neurons that undergo apoptosis after METH. Male mice received a single high dose of METH (30 mg/kg, i.p.) and were killed 24 h later. To demonstrate that METH induces apoptosis in neurons, we combined terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining with immunohistofluorescence for the neuronal marker neuron-specific nuclear protein (NeuN). Staining for TUNEL and NeuN was colocalized throughout the striatum. METH induces apoptosis in approximately 25% of striatal neurons. Cell counts of TUNEL-positive neurons in the dorsomedial, ventromedial, dorsolateral and ventrolateral quadrants of the striatum did not reveal anatomical preference. The type of striatal neuron undergoing cell death was determined by combining TUNEL with immunohistofluorescence for selective markers of striatal neurons: dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, of apparent Mr 32,000, parvalbumin, choline acetyltransferase and somatostatin (SST). METH induces apoptosis in approximately 21% of dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, of apparent Mr 32,000-positive neurons (projection neurons), 45% of GABA-parvalbumin-positive neurons in the dorsal striatum, and 29% of cholinergic neurons in the dorsal–medial striatum. In contrast, the SST-positive interneurons were refractory to METH-induced apoptosis. Finally, the amount of cell loss determined with Nissl staining correlated with the amount of TUNEL staining in the striatum of METH-treated animals. In conclusion, some of the striatal projection neurons and the GABA-parvalbumin and cholinergic interneurons were removed by apoptosis in the aftermath of METH. This

Aconitine-induced Ca{sup 2+} overload causes arrhythmia and triggers apoptosis through p38 MAPK signaling pathway in rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Gui-bo; Sun, Hong; Meng, Xiang-bao [Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193 (China); Hu, Jin; Zhang, Qiang; Liu, Bo [Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences of Jilin Province, Changchun, Jilin 130021 (China); Wang, Min [Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193 (China); Xu, Hui-bo, E-mail: xhb_6505@163.com [Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences of Jilin Province, Changchun, Jilin 130021 (China); Sun, Xiao-bo, E-mail: sun_xiaobo163@163.com [Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100193 (China)

2014-08-15

Aconitine is a major bioactive diterpenoid alkaloid with high content derived from herbal aconitum plants. Emerging evidence indicates that voltage-dependent Na{sup +} channels have pivotal roles in the cardiotoxicity of aconitine. However, no reports are available on the role of Ca{sup 2+} in aconitine poisoning. In this study, we explored the importance of pathological Ca{sup 2+} signaling in aconitine poisoning in vitro and in vivo. We found that Ca{sup 2+} overload lead to accelerated beating rhythm in adult rat ventricular myocytes and caused arrhythmia in conscious freely moving rats. To investigate effects of aconitine on myocardial injury, we performed cytotoxicity assay in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs), as well as measured lactate dehydrogenase level in the culture medium of NRVMs and activities of serum cardiac enzymes in rats. The results showed that aconitine resulted in myocardial injury and reduced NRVMs viability dose-dependently. To confirm the pro-apoptotic effects, we performed flow cytometric detection, cardiac histology, transmission electron microscopy and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay. The results showed that aconitine stimulated apoptosis time-dependently. The expression analysis of Ca{sup 2+} handling proteins demonstrated that aconitine promoted Ca{sup 2+} overload through the expression regulation of Ca{sup 2+} handling proteins. The expression analysis of apoptosis-related proteins revealed that pro-apoptotic protein expression was upregulated, and anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2 expression was downregulated. Furthermore, increased phosphorylation of MAPK family members, especially the P-P38/P38 ratio was found in cardiac tissues. Hence, our results suggest that aconitine significantly aggravates Ca{sup 2+} overload and causes arrhythmia and finally promotes apoptotic development via phosphorylation of P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. - Highlights: • Aconitine-induced Ca

Different immunophenotypical apoptotic profiles characterise megakaryocytes of essential thrombocythaemia and primary myelofibrosis.

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Florena, A M; Tripodo, C; Di Bernardo, A; Iannitto, E; Guarnotta, C; Porcasi, R; Ingrao, S; Abbadessa, V; Franco, V

2009-04-01

Essential thrombocythaemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF) share some clinical and pathological features, but show different biological behaviour and prognosis. The latest contributions to understanding the nature of these disorders have focused on bone marrow microenvironment remodelling and proliferative stress, recognising megakaryocytes (MKCs) as "key-cells". The aim of this study was to investigate the apoptotic profile of ET and PMF MKCs in order to further characterise the biology of these disorders. Bone marrow biopsy samples from 30 patients with ET, and 30 patients with PMF, were immunophenotypically studied for the expression of pro-apoptotic (Fas, Fas-L, Bax, Bad) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, hTERT (human telomerase reverse transcriptase)) molecules and the "executioner" molecule caspase-3. The fraction of MKCs undergoing apoptosis was assessed by deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling. Only the mitochondrial pathway seemed to be involved in MKC apoptosis. The anti-apoptotic molecule Bcl-XL was predominantly found in ET MKCs (50.5% of ET MKCs versus 35% of PMF MKCs; p = 0.036), while pro-apoptotic molecules Bax and Bad showed a prevalent expression in PMF MKCs (30.5% of ET MKCs versus 55% of PMF MKCs; 41% of ET MKCs versus 52% of PMF MKCs; p = 0.001 and p = 0.068, respectively). A significant fraction of PMF MKCs were committed to apoptosis according to caspase-3 expression and TUNEL, while only few ET cells were committed to apoptosis. hTERT was significantly more expressed in PMF (32% of ET MKCs versus 46% of PMF MKCs; p = 0.022), in agreement with the proliferative nature of this disease. It was found that ET and PMF MKCs, which barely differ in terms of morphology and aggregation, are characterised by markedly different apoptotic profiles. The rather high apoptotic fraction of PMF was able to support the fibrotic nature of this process, while the anti-apoptotic profile of ET cells fits well with their "steady

Anti-inflammatory and Anti-apoptotic Effect of Valproic Acid and Doxycycline Independent from MMP Inhibition in Early Radiation Damage

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Ferda Hoşgörler

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP inhibitors decrease inflammation in normal tissues and suppress cancer progress in normal tissues. Valproic acid (VA and doxycycline (DX are MMP inhibitors that have radio-protective effects. Their ability to inhibit MMPs in irradiated tissue is unknown and the role of MMPs in radio-protective effects has not been tested to date. Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine whether administration of VA and DX to rats before irradiation affects tissue inflammation and apoptosis in the early phase of radiation, and whether the effect of these drugs is mediated by MMP inhibition. Study Design: Animal experimentation. Methods: Twenty-six Wistar rats were randomized into four groups: control (CTRL, radiation (RT, VA plus radiation (VA+RT, and DX plus radiation (DX+RT.Three study groups were exposed to a single dose of abdominal 10 Gy gamma radiation; the CTRL group received no radiation. Single doses of VA 300 mg/kg and DX 100 mg/kg were administered to each rat before radiation and all rats were sacrificed 8 hours after irradiation, at which point small intestine tissue samples were taken for analyses. Levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP 9 were measured by ELISA, MMP activities were measured by gelatin and casein zymography and apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Results: VA decreased the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β proteins insignificantly and decreased apoptosis significantly in the irradiated tissue, but did not inhibit MMPs. In contrast, VA protected the basal MMP activities, which decreased in response to irradiation. No effect of DX was observed on the levels of inflammatory cytokines or activities of MMPs in the early phases of radiation apoptosis. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that VA protects against inflammation and apoptosis, and DX exhibits anti-apoptotic effects in

Downregulation of mouse CCR3 by lentiviral shRNA inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of mouse eosinophils.

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Zhu, Xin-Hua; Liao, Bing; Xu, Yi; Liu, Ke; Huang, Yun; Huang, Quan-Long; Liu, Yue-Hui

2017-02-01

RNA interference has been considered as an effective gene silencing method in basic and preclinical investigations. The aims of the present study were to construct a lentiviral vector expressing a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting the murine CC chemokine receptor 3 (mCCR3), and to investigate its effects on the proliferation and apoptosis of mouse eosinophils. A recombinant lentiviral vector expressing four fragments of mouse CCR3 shRNA (pLVX‑mCCR3‑1+2+3+4‑shRNA) was constructed using subcloning techniques. This novel lentivirus was then packaged into 293T cells by co‑transduction with plasmids, including Baculo p35, pCMV R8.2 and VSV. The interference effects of the vector were verified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blot analyses. The effects of the interference on the proliferation and apoptosis of mouse eosinophils were investigated using 3‑(4,5‑dimethylthiazol‑2‑yl)‑5‑(3‑carboxymethoxyphenyl)‑2‑(4‑sulfophenyl)‑2H‑tetrazolium and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling methods, respectively. The results of the PCR and western blot analyses confirmed that the novel recombinant vector, pLVX‑mCCR3‑1+2+3+4‑shRNA, had high efficiency in inhibiting the mRNA and protein expression levels of mCCR3 in mouse eosinophils. The downregulation of mCCR3 significantly inhibited proliferation of the eosinophils. Furthermore, the present study found that the downregulation of mCCR3 significantly promoted apoptosis of the eosinophils. Therefore, the downregulation of mCCR3 led to the inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis in mouse eosinophils. The predominant characteristics of allergic rhinitis are eosinophil infiltration and release of inflammatory mediators, which appear in a variety of clinical manifestations. The results of the present study indicate that mCCR3 silencing may serve as a putative approach for the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

Effects of electroacupuncture on the cortical extracellular signal regulated kinase pathway in rats with cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion.

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Wu, Chunxiao; Li, Chun; Zhou, Guoping; Yang, Lu; Jiang, Guimei; Chen, Jing; Li, Qiushi; Zhan, Zhulian; Xu, Xiuhong; Zhang, Xin

2017-12-01

To explore the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on the phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated kinase (p-ERK) pathway of the cerebral cortex in a rat model of focal cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R). 160 adult Sprague-Dawley rats underwent middle carotid artery occlusion (MCAO) to establish I/R injury and were randomly divided into four groups (n=40 each) that remained untreated (I/R group) or received EA at LU5, LI4, ST36 and SP6 (I/R+EA group), the ERK inhibitor PD98059 (I/R+PD group), or both interventions (I/R+PD+EA groups). An additional 40 rats undergoing sham surgery formed a healthy control group. Eight rats from each group were sacrificed at the following time points: 2 hours, 6 hours, 1 day, 3 days and 1 week. Neurological function was assessed using neurological deficit scores, morphological examination was performed following haematoxylin-eosin staining of cortical tissues, and apoptotic indices were calculated after terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated biotin-16-dUTP nick-end labelling. Cortical protein and mRNA expression of p-ERK and ERK were measured by immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative PCR, respectively. Compared with the I/R group, neurological deficit scores and apoptotic indices were lower in the I/R+EA group at 1 and 3 days, whereas mRNA/protein expression of ERK/p-ERK was higher in the EA group at all time points studied. Our results suggest that EA can alleviate neurological deficits and reduce cortical apoptosis in rats with I/R injury. These anti-apoptotic effects may be due to upregulation of p-ERK. Moreover, apoptosis appeared to peak at 1 day after I/R injury, which might therefore represent the optimal time point for targeting of EA. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Puerarin reduces apoptosis in rat hippocampal neurons culturea in high glucose medium by modulating the p38 mitogen activated protein kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling pathways.

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Xu, Xiaohan; Wang, Jingbo; Zhang, Hong; Tian, Guoqing; Liu, Yuqin

2016-02-01

To investigate the neuroprotective etfect of puerarin on rat hippocampal neurons cultured in high glucose medium, and to examine the role of the p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathways in this effect. Primary cultures of hippocampal neurons were prepared from newborn Sprague Dawley rats. Neuron-specific enolase immunocytochemistry was used to identify neurons. The neurons were cultured with normal medium (control group) or with high-glucose medium (high-glucose group), and puerarin (puerarin group), a p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB239063; p38 MAPK inhibitor group) or a JNK inhibitor (SP600125; JNK inhibitor group) were added. After 72 h of treatment, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay was performed to detect apoptosis, and western blotting was used to assess protein levels of p-p38, p38, p-JNK and JNK. In the high-glucose group, the neuronal apoptosis rate and the p-p38/p38 and p-JNK/JNK ratios were higher than in the control group. The p38 MAPK and JNK inhibitors prevented this increase in the apoptosis rate. The apoptosis rates in the puerarin group, the p38 MAPK inhibitor group and the JNK inhibitor group were significantly decreased compared with the high-glucose group. Moreover, protein levels of p-p38 and p-JNK were significantly reduced, and the p-p38/p38 and p-JNK/JNK ratios were decreased in the puerarin group compared with the high-glucose group. In addition, compared with the high-glucose group, p-p38 levels and the p-p38/p38 ratio were reduced in the p38 MAPK inhibitor group, and p-JNK levels and the p-JNK/JNK ratio were decreased in the JNK inhibitor group. Puerarin attenuates neuronal apoptosis induced by high glucose by reducing the phosphorylation of p38 and JNK.

Vitrification of neat semen alters sperm parameters and DNA integrity.

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Khalili, Mohammad Ali; Adib, Maryam; Halvaei, Iman; Nabi, Ali

2014-05-06

Our aim was to evaluate the effect of neat semen vitrification on human sperm vital parameters and DNA integrity in men with normal and abnormal sperm parameters. Semen samples were 17 normozoospermic samples and 17 specimens with abnormal sperm parameters. Semen analysis was performed according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Then, the smear was provided from each sample and fixed for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Vitrification of neat semen was done by plunging cryoloops directly into liquid nitrogen and preserved for 7 days. The samples were warmed and re-evaluated for sperm parameters as well as DNA integrity. Besides, the correlation between sperm parameters and DNA fragmentation was assessed pre- and post vitrification. Cryopreserved spermatozoa showed significant decrease in sperm motility, viability and normal morphology after thawing in both normal and abnormal semen. Also, the rate of sperm DNA fragmentation was significantly higher after vitrification compared to fresh samples in normal (24.76 ± 5.03 and 16.41 ± 4.53, P = .002) and abnormal (34.29 ± 10.02 and 23.5 ± 8.31, P < .0001), respectively. There was negative correlation between sperm motility and sperm DNA integrity in both groups after vitrification. Vitrification of neat ejaculates has negative impact on sperm parameters as well as DNA integrity, particularly among abnormal semen subjects. It is, therefore, recommend to process semen samples and vitrify the sperm pellets.

Curcumin ameliorates cardiac dysfunction induced by mechanical trauma.

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Li, Xintao; Cao, Tingting; Ma, Shuo; Jing, Zehao; Bi, Yue; Zhou, Jicheng; Chen, Chong; Yu, Deqin; Zhu, Liang; Li, Shuzhuang

2017-11-05

Curcumin, a phytochemical component derived from turmeric (Carcuma longa), has been extensively investigated because of its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. Inflammation and oxidative stress play critical roles in posttraumatic cardiomyocyte apoptosis, which contributes to secondary cardiac dysfunction. This research was designed to identify the protective effect of curcumin on posttraumatic cardiac dysfunction and investigate its underlying mechanism. Noble-Collip drum was used to prepare a mechanical trauma (MT) model of rats, and the hemodynamic responses of traumatized rats were observed by ventricular intubation 12h after trauma. Myocardial apoptosis was determined through terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining and caspase-3 activity assay. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by monocytes and myocardial cells were identified through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the intracellular alteration of Ca 2+ in cardiomyocytes was examined through confocal microscopy. In vivo, curcumin effectively ameliorated MT-induced secondary cardiac dysfunction and significantly decreased the apoptotic indices of the traumatized myocardial cells. In vitro, curcumin inhibited TNF-α production by monocytes and reduced the circulating TNF-α levels. With curcumin pretreatment, ROS production and Ca 2+ overload in H9c2 cells were attenuated when these cells were incubated with traumatic plasma. Therefore, curcumin can effectively ameliorate MT-induced cardiac dysfunction mainly by inhibiting systemic inflammatory responses and by weakening oxidative stress reaction and Ca 2+ overload in cardiomyocytes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Time-specific blockade of PDGFR with Imatinib (Glivec®) causes cataract and disruption of lens fiber cells in neonatal mice.

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Zhou, Yin-Pin; He, Yang-Tao; Chen, Cheng-Li; Ji, Jun; Niu, Jian-Qin; Wang, Han-Zhi; Li, Shi-Feng; Huang, Lan; Mei, Feng

2011-03-01

This study aimed at investigating the response of lens epithelial cells in postnatal mice to Imatinib (Glivec®, a potent inhibitor of platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)) treatment. Mouse eyes were sampled 10 days after administration of Imatinib (0.5 mg·g(-1)·day(-1)) for 3 days, at either 7, 14, or 21 days postpartum. Structural changes of lens were revealed by routine H.E. staining. Levels of proliferation and apoptosis were revealed by BrdU incorporation and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, respectively, and immunofluorescent staining with anti-PDGFRα antibody was carried out on the sections of eyeball. PDGFRα and p-PDGFRαprotein levels were evaluated by Western blot. Our results indicated that administration of Imatinib led to blockade of PDGFR signaling. Formation of cataracts was found only in those mice where treatment started from 7 days postpartum (P7), but was not observed in those samples from P14 nor P21. Fiber cells were disorganized in cataract lens core as observed histologically, and migration of epithelial cells was also inhibited. No apoptosis was detected with the TUNEL method. Our results indicated blockade of PDGFR at the neonatal stage (P7) would lead to cataracts and lens fiber cells disorganization, suggesting that PDGFR signaling plays a time-specific and crucial role in the postnatal development of lens in the mouse, and also may provide a new approach to produce a congenital cataract animal model.

Therapeutic potential of Mucuna pruriens (Linn.) on ageing induced damage in dorsal nerve of the penis and its implication on erectile function: an experimental study using albino rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Seppan, Prakash; Muhammed, Ibrahim; Mohanraj, Karthik Ganesh; Lakshmanan, Ganesh; Premavathy, Dinesh; Muthu, Sakthi Jothi; Wungmarong Shimray, Khayinmi; Sathyanathan, Sathya Bharathy

2018-02-15

To study the effect of ethanolic seed extract of Mucuna pruriens on damaged dorsal nerve of the penis (DNP) in aged rat in relation to penile erection. The rats were divided into four groups Young (3 months), Aged (24 - 28 months), Aged + M. pruriens, and Young + M. pruriens (200 mg/kg b.w/60 days) and were subjected to the hypophysial - gonadal axis, nerve conduction velocity (NCV), and penile reflex. DNP sections were stained with nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NaDPH) diaphorase, androgen receptor (AR), and osmium tetroxide. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) staining, electron microscopy(EM) and histometric analyses were done. Significant disturbance in hypophysial - gonadal axis was noted in aged rat. With reduced number of myelinated fibers, diameter, vacuolization, indentation of the myelin sheath, and degeneration. nNOS and its cofactor (NaDPH diaphorase) were reduced in aged rat DNP. NCV was slow in aged rats and concomitant poor penile reflex was also noted. AR showed reduced expression in aged rat DNP when compared to young and control groups. TUNEL positive cells were increased in aged rat DNP. These pathological changes were remarkably reduced or recovered in M. pruriens treated aged rats. The results indicate a multi-factorial therapeutic activity in penile innervations towards sustaining the penile erection in the presence of the extract in aged rats and justifying the claim of traditional usage.

Opposite effects of the gap junction blocker octanol on focal cerebral ischemia occluded for different durations.

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Ding, Wenting; Zhou, Lequan; Liu, Wei; Guan, Li; Li, Xiaoying; Liu, Haimei; Yan, Fuman; Xu, Jinwen; Zeng, Weiyong; Qiu, Min

2014-06-01

Protectants and executioners have been demonstrated to be used by gap junctions in focal cerebral ischemia. Certain researchers hypothesized that the opposite role of gap junctions may be associated with the injury extent, which has been demonstrated to be highly correlated with occlusion duration. In order to examine this hypothesis directly, the effects of octanol, a frequently used drug, were examined to investigate the role of gap junctions, in rats following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 30 min/2 h and 24 h reperfusion, respectively. Octanol significantly reduced the infarct volume following 2 h of occlusion concomitant with lower neurological deficits, whereas it enlarged the infarct volume following 30 min of occlusion. Consistently, octanol attenuated the number of transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) positive neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region following 2 h of occlusion, while opposite effects were observed for 30 min of occlusion. Further immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that the expression of B-cell leukemia-2 (Bcl-2, anti-apoptotic protein) was upregulated and that Bcl-2-associated X (Bax, proapoptotic protein) was downregulated following 2 h of occlusion in the octanol group compared with the ischemic group. Conversely, octanol downregulated the expression of the Bcl-2 protein concomitant with increased Bax protein following 30 min of occlusion. These results indicated that the gap junction blocker octanol can protect against ischemic injury following long-term occlusion, however, can aggravate ischemic injury following short-term occlusion.

Gold namoprtices enhance anti-tumor effect of radiotherapy to hypoxic tumor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Mi Sun; Lee, Eun Jung; Kim, Jae Won; Keum, Ki Chang; Koom, Woong Sub [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Chung, Ui Seok; Koh, Won Gun [Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-09-15

Hypoxia can impair the therapeutic efficacy of radiotherapy (RT). Therefore, a new strategy is necessary for enhancing the response to RT. In this study, we investigated whether the combination of nanoparticles and RT is effective in eliminating the radioresistance of hypoxic tumors. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) consisting of a silica core with a gold shell were used. CT26 colon cancer mouse model was developed to study whether the combination of RT and GNPs reduced hypoxia-induced radioresistance. Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) was used as a hypoxia marker. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining were conducted to evaluate cell death. Hypoxic tumor cells had an impaired response to RT. GNPs combined with RT enhanced anti-tumor effect in hypoxic tumor compared with RT alone. The combination of GNPs and RT decreased tumor cell viability compare to RT alone in vitro. Under hypoxia, tumors treated with GNPs + RT showed a higher response than that shown by tumors treated with RT alone. When a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger was added, the enhanced antitumor effect of GNPs + RT was diminished. In the present study, hypoxic tumors treated with GNPs + RT showed favorable responses, which might be attributable to the ROS production induced by GNPs + RT. Taken together, GNPs combined with RT seems to be potential modality for enhancing the response to RT in hypoxic tumors.

Mechanism of Mitochondrial Connexin43′s Protection of the Neurovascular Unit under Acute Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

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Shuai Hou

2016-05-01

Full Text Available We observed mitochondrial connexin43 (mtCx43 expression under cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R injury, analyzed its regulation, and explored its protective mechanisms. Wistar rats were divided into groups based on injections received before middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO. Cerebral infarction volume was detected by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolim chloride staining, and cell apoptosis was observed by transferase dUTP nick end labeling. We used transmission electron microscopy to observe mitochondrial morphology and determined superoxide dismutase (SOD activity and malondialdehyde (MDA content. MtCx43, p-mtCx43, protein kinase C (PKC, and p-PKC expression were detected by Western blot. Compared with those in the IR group, cerebral infarction volumes in the carbenoxolone (CBX and diazoxide (DZX groups were obviously smaller, and the apoptosis indices were down-regulated. Mitochondrial morphology was damaged after I/R, especially in the IR and 5-hydroxydecanoic acid (5-HD groups. Similarly, decreased SOD activity and increased MDA were observed after MCAO; CBX, DZX, and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA reduced mitochondrial functional injury. Expression of mtCx43 and p-mtCx43 and the p-Cx43/Cx43 ratio were significantly lower in the IR group than in the sham group. These abnormalities were ameliorated by CBX, DZX, and PMA. MtCx43 may protect the neurovascular unit from acute cerebral IR injury via PKC activation induced by mitoKATP channel agonists.

Andrographis paniculata extract induced apoptosis of adenocarcinoma mammae in C3H mice

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Nugrahaningsih

2013-08-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Apoptosis plays an important role in tumorigenesis. Induction of apoptosis is a strategy for developing cancer therapy. In vitro study found that andrographolide isolated from Andrographis paniculata has anticancer activity by an apoptotic mechanism in cancer cell lines. The aim of the present study was to prove the effect of Andrographis paniculata extract administered orally on apoptosis of mammary adenocarcinoma in C3H mice. METHODS This study was of post test randomized control group design. Twenty four C3H mice with transplanted mammary adenocarcinomas were divided into four groups. To three groups Andrographis paniculata extract was administered orally for 14 days, at doses of 5, 10 and 15 mg/day, respectively, whereas to the control group no Andrographis paniculata extract was administered. On day 15 the mice were terminated. The mammary adenocarcinomas were examined by the terminal deoxynucleotide transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL method. The values of the apoptotic index were expressed as mean±SD and analyzed using Anova and Pearson’s correlation test. RESULTS The mean apoptotic index values differed significantly among the experimental groups (p=0.001. The highest value was found in the group receiving Andrographis paniculata extract 15 mg/day, while the lowest was in the control group, the values being significantly correlated (r=0.974. CONCLUSIONS Oral administration of Andrographis paniculata extract induced apoptosis in C3H mice with mammary adenocarcinoma

Gold namoprtices enhance anti-tumor effect of radiotherapy to hypoxic tumor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Mi Sun; Lee, Eun Jung; Kim, Jae Won; Keum, Ki Chang; Koom, Woong Sub; Chung, Ui Seok; Koh, Won Gun

2016-01-01

Hypoxia can impair the therapeutic efficacy of radiotherapy (RT). Therefore, a new strategy is necessary for enhancing the response to RT. In this study, we investigated whether the combination of nanoparticles and RT is effective in eliminating the radioresistance of hypoxic tumors. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) consisting of a silica core with a gold shell were used. CT26 colon cancer mouse model was developed to study whether the combination of RT and GNPs reduced hypoxia-induced radioresistance. Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) was used as a hypoxia marker. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining were conducted to evaluate cell death. Hypoxic tumor cells had an impaired response to RT. GNPs combined with RT enhanced anti-tumor effect in hypoxic tumor compared with RT alone. The combination of GNPs and RT decreased tumor cell viability compare to RT alone in vitro. Under hypoxia, tumors treated with GNPs + RT showed a higher response than that shown by tumors treated with RT alone. When a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger was added, the enhanced antitumor effect of GNPs + RT was diminished. In the present study, hypoxic tumors treated with GNPs + RT showed favorable responses, which might be attributable to the ROS production induced by GNPs + RT. Taken together, GNPs combined with RT seems to be potential modality for enhancing the response to RT in hypoxic tumors

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) promotes primordial follicle growth and reduces DNA fragmentation through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signalling pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Bezerra, Maria É S; Barberino, Ricássio S; Menezes, Vanúzia G; Gouveia, Bruna B; Macedo, Taís J S; Santos, Jamile M S; Monte, Alane P O; Barros, Vanessa R P; Matos, Maria H T

2018-05-30

We investigated the effects of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) on the morphology and follicular activation of ovine preantral follicles cultured in situ and whether the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway is involved in IGF-1 action in the sheep ovary. Ovine ovarian fragments were fixed for histological and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) analyses (fresh control) or cultured in supplemented alpha-minimum essential medium (α-MEM+; control) or α-MEM+ with IGF-1 (1, 10, 50, 100 or 200ngmL-1) for 7 days. Follicles were classified as normal or atretic, primordial or growing and the oocyte and follicle diameters were measured. DNA fragmentation was evaluated by TUNEL assay. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemistry was performed on the fresh control, α-MEM+ and 100ngmL-1 IGF-1 samples. Inhibition of PI3K activity was performed through pretreatment with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and phosphorylated AKT (pAKT) expression was analysed after culture in the absence or presence of LY294002. IGF-1 at 100ngmL-1 increased (PIGF-1. LY294002 significantly inhibited follicular activation stimulated by α-MEM+ and 100ngmL-1 IGF-1 and reduced pAKT expression in follicles. Overall, IGF-1 at 100ngmL-1 promoted primordial follicle activation, cell proliferation and reduced DNA fragmentation after in situ culture through the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Oxidative stress may be involved in distant organ failure in tourniquet shock model mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishikata, Rie; Kato, Naho; Hiraiwa, Kouichi

2014-03-01

Crush syndrome is characterized by prolonged shock resulting from extensive muscle damage and multiple organ failure. However, the pathogenesis of multiple organ failure has not yet been completely elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the molecular biological and histopathological aspects of distant organ injury in crush syndrome by using tourniquet shock model mice. DNA microarray analysis of the soleus muscle showed an increase in the mRNA levels of Cox-2, Hsp70, c-fos, and IL-6, at 3h after ischemia/reperfusion injury at the lower extremity. In vivo staining with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) showed edema and degeneration in the soleus muscle, but no change in the distant organs. Immunohistological staining of the HSP70 protein revealed nuclear translocation in the soleus muscle, kidney, liver, and lung. The c-fos mRNA levels were elevated in the soleus muscle, kidney, and liver, displaying nuclear translocation of c-FOS protein. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) analysis suggested the involvement of apoptosis in ischemia/reperfusion injury in the soleus muscle. Apoptotic cells were not found in greater quantities in the kidney. Oxidative stress, as determined using a free radical elective evaluator (d-ROM test), markedly increased after ischemia/reperfusion injury. Therefore, examination of immunohistological changes and determination of oxidative stress are proposed to be useful in evaluating the extent of tourniquet shock, even before changes are observed by HE staining. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Glutathione S - transferases class Pi and Mi and their significance in oncology

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Zofia Marchewka

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In this article the current data, which shows that glutathione S-transferases (GST class Pi and Mi are interesting and promising biomarkers in acute and chronic inflammatory processes as well as in the oncology, were presented based on the review of the latest experimental and clinical studies. The article shows their characteristics, functions and participation (direct - GST Pi, indirect - GST Mi in the regulation of signaling pathways of JNK kinases, which are involved in cell differentiation. Overexpression of glutathione S-transferases class Pi and Mi in many cancer cells plays a key role in cancer treatment, making them resistant to chemotherapy. GST isoenzymes are involved in the metabolism of various types of xenobiotics and endogenous substrates, so their altered expression in cancer tissues as well as in serum and urine could be an important potential marker of the cancer and an indicator of oxidative stress. The study shows the role of glutathione S-transferases in redox homeostasis of tumor cells and in the mechanism of resistance to anticancer drugs.

Glutathione S - transferases class Pi and Mi and their significance in oncology.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchewka, Zofia; Piwowar, Agnieszka; Ruzik, Sylwia; Długosz, Anna

2017-06-19

In this article the current data, which shows that glutathione S-transferases (GST) class Pi and Mi are interesting and promising biomarkers in acute and chronic inflammatory processes as well as in the oncology, were presented based on the review of the latest experimental and clinical studies. The article shows their characteristics, functions and participation (direct - GST Pi, indirect - GST Mi) in the regulation of signaling pathways of JNK kinases, which are involved in cell differentiation. Overexpression of glutathione S-transferases class Pi and Mi in many cancer cells plays a key role in cancer treatment, making them resistant to chemotherapy. GST isoenzymes are involved in the metabolism of various types of xenobiotics and endogenous substrates, so their altered expression in cancer tissues as well as in serum and urine could be an important potential marker of the cancer and an indicator of oxidative stress. The study shows the role of glutathione S-transferases in redox homeostasis of tumor cells and in the mechanism of resistance to anticancer drugs.

Characterization of Affinity-Purified Isoforms of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus Y1 Glutathione Transferases

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Chin-Soon Chee

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Glutathione transferases (GST were purified from locally isolated bacteria, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus Y1, by glutathione-affinity chromatography and anion exchange, and their substrate specificities were investigated. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that the purified GST resolved into a single band with a molecular weight (MW of 23 kDa. 2-dimensional (2-D gel electrophoresis showed the presence of two isoforms, GST1 (pI 4.5 and GST2 (pI 6.2 with identical MW. GST1 was reactive towards ethacrynic acid, hydrogen peroxide, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, and trans,trans-hepta-2,4-dienal while GST2 was active towards all substrates except hydrogen peroxide. This demonstrated that GST1 possessed peroxidase activity which was absent in GST2. This study also showed that only GST2 was able to conjugate GSH to isoproturon, a herbicide. GST1 and GST2 were suggested to be similar to F0KLY9 (putative glutathione S-transferase and F0KKB0 (glutathione S-transferase III of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus strain PHEA-2, respectively.

Characterization of Affinity-Purified Isoforms of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus Y1 Glutathione Transferases

Science.gov (United States)

Chee, Chin-Soon; Tan, Irene Kit-Ping; Alias, Zazali

2014-01-01

Glutathione transferases (GST) were purified from locally isolated bacteria, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus Y1, by glutathione-affinity chromatography and anion exchange, and their substrate specificities were investigated. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that the purified GST resolved into a single band with a molecular weight (MW) of 23 kDa. 2-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis showed the presence of two isoforms, GST1 (pI 4.5) and GST2 (pI 6.2) with identical MW. GST1 was reactive towards ethacrynic acid, hydrogen peroxide, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, and trans,trans-hepta-2,4-dienal while GST2 was active towards all substrates except hydrogen peroxide. This demonstrated that GST1 possessed peroxidase activity which was absent in GST2. This study also showed that only GST2 was able to conjugate GSH to isoproturon, a herbicide. GST1 and GST2 were suggested to be similar to F0KLY9 (putative glutathione S-transferase) and F0KKB0 (glutathione S-transferase III) of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus strain PHEA-2, respectively. PMID:24892084

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) knockout preserves cardiac homeostasis through alleviating Akt-mediated myocardial autophagy suppression in high-fat diet-induced obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, X; Ren, J

2015-03-01

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has a role in the development of obesity and diabetes. However, whether MIF has a role in fat diet-induced obesity and associated cardiac anomalies still remains unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of MIF knockout on high-fat diet-induced obesity, obesity-associated cardiac anomalies and the underlying mechanisms involved with a focus on Akt-mediated autophagy. Adult male wild-type (WT) and MIF knockout (MIF(-/-)) mice were placed on 45% high-fat diet for 5 months. Oxygen consumption, CO2 production, respiratory exchange ratio, locomotor activity and heat generation were measured using energy calorimeter. Echocardiographic, cardiomyocyte mechanical and intracellular Ca2+ properties were assessed. Apoptosis was examined using terminal dUTP nick end labeling staining and western blot analysis. Akt signaling pathway and autophagy markers were evaluated. Cardiomyocytes isolated from WT and MIF(-/-) mice were treated with recombinant mouse MIF (rmMIF). High-fat diet feeding elicited increased body weight gain, insulin resistance and caloric disturbance in WT and MIF(-/-) mice. High-fat diet induced unfavorable geometric, contractile and histological changes in the heart, the effects of which were alleviated by MIF knockout. In addition, fat diet-induced cardiac anomalies were associated with Akt activation and autophagy suppression, which were nullified by MIF deficiency. In cardiomyocytes from WT mice, autophagy was inhibited by exogenous rmMIF through Akt activation. In addition, MIF knockout rescued palmitic acid-induced suppression of cardiomyocyte autophagy, the effect of which was nullified by rmMIF. These results indicate that MIF knockout preserved obesity-associated cardiac anomalies without affecting fat diet-induced obesity, probably through restoring myocardial autophagy in an Akt-dependent manner. Our findings provide new insights for the role of MIF in obesity and associated cardiac

Efficient sortase-mediated N-terminal labeling of TEV protease cleaved recombinant proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarpong, Kwabena; Bose, Ron

2017-03-15

A major challenge in attaching fluorophores or other handles to proteins is the availability of a site-specific labeling strategy that provides stoichiometric modification without compromising protein integrity. We developed a simple approach that combines TEV protease cleavage, sortase modification and affinity purification to N-terminally label proteins. To achieve stoichiometrically-labeled protein, we included a short affinity tag in the fluorophore-containing peptide for post-labeling purification of the modified protein. This strategy can be easily applied to any recombinant protein with a TEV site and we demonstrate this on Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and Membrane Scaffold Protein (MSP) constructs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Label Correcting Algorithm for Partial Disassembly Sequences in the Production Planning for End-of-Life Products

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Pei-Fang (Jennifer Tsai

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Remanufacturing of used products has become a strategic issue for cost-sensitive businesses. Due to the nature of uncertain supply of end-of-life (EoL products, the reverse logistic can only be sustainable with a dynamic production planning for disassembly process. This research investigates the sequencing of disassembly operations as a single-period partial disassembly optimization (SPPDO problem to minimize total disassembly cost. AND/OR graph representation is used to include all disassembly sequences of a returned product. A label correcting algorithm is proposed to find an optimal partial disassembly plan if a specific reusable subpart is retrieved from the original return. Then, a heuristic procedure that utilizes this polynomial-time algorithm is presented to solve the SPPDO problem. Numerical examples are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of this solution procedure.

Effect of low dose X-ray irradiation on apoptosis in spermatogenic cells of mouse testes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Guangwei; Liu Shuchun; Lu Zhe; Gong Shouliang

2003-01-01

To study the effects of low dose radiation (LDR) with different doses of X-rays on the apoptosis in spermatogenic cells of male Kunming mouse testes. The time-effect and dose-effect of apoptosis in the different stages of spermatogenic cell cycles of mouse testis after LDR with different doses of X-rays were studied with light microscope using the methods of TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and HE staining. The apoptosis of spermatogenic cells induced by LDR had a remarkable regularity in cell types. When the dose was 0.025 Gy, spermatogonium apoptosis was taken as main. With the dose increase of irradiation (0.025-0.2 Gy), spermatocytes also showed an apoptotic change, but the apoptotic rate of spermatogonia was significantly higher than that of spermatocytes. Moreover, the apoptosis of spermatids and spermatozoa scarcely occurred after irradiation with low dose. The apoptosis of spermatogenic cells induced by LDR has a regular change, which provides a further experimental evidence for the mechanism study of hormesis by LDR

Nitroxide-mediated radical ring-opening copolymerization: chain-end investigation and block copolymer synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Delplace, Vianney; Harrisson, Simon; Tardy, Antoine; Gigmes, Didier; Guillaneuf, Yohann; Nicolas, Julien

2014-02-01

Well-defined, degradable copolymers are successfully prepared by nitroxide-mediated radical ring opening polymerization (NMrROP) of oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (OEGMA) or methyl methacrylate (MMA), a small amount of acrylonitrile (AN) and cyclic ketene acetals (CKAs) of different structures. Phosphorous nuclear magnetic resonance allows in-depth chain-end characterization and gives crucial insights into the nature of the copoly-mer terminal sequences and the living chain fractions. By using a small library of P(OEGMA-co-AN-co-CKA) and P(MMA-co-AN-co-CKA) as macroinitiators, chain extensions with styrene are performed to furnish (amphiphilic) block copolymers comprising a degradable segment. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Site-Specific Biomolecule Labeling with Gold Clusters

OpenAIRE

Ackerson, Christopher J.; Powell, Richard D.; Hainfeld, James F.

2010-01-01

Site-specific labeling of biomolecules in vitro with gold clusters can enhance the information content of electron cryomicroscopy experiments. This chapter provides a practical overview of well-established techniques for forming biomolecule/gold cluster conjugates. Three bioconjugation chemistries are covered: Linker-mediated bioconjugation, direct gold–biomolecule bonding, and coordination-mediated bonding of nickel(II) nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-derivatized gold clusters to polyhistidine (...

A glutathione s-transferase confers herbicide tolerance in rice

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Tingzhang Hu

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Plant glutathione S-transferases (GSTs have been a focus of attention due to their role in herbicide detoxification. OsGSTL2 is a glutathione S-transferase, lambda class gene from rice (Oryza sativa L.. Transgenic rice plants over-expressing OsGSTL2 were generated from rice calli by the use of an Agrobacterium transformation system, and were screened by a combination of hygromycin resistance, PCR and Southern blot analysis. In the vegetative tissues of transgenic rice plants, the over-expression of OsGSTL2 not only increased levels of OsGSTL2 transcripts, but also GST and GPX expression, while reduced superoxide. Transgenic rice plants also showed higher tolerance to glyphosate and chlorsulfuron, which often contaminate agricultural fields. The findings demonstrate the detoxification role of OsGSTL2 in the growth and development of rice plants. It should be possible to apply the present results to crops for developing herbicide tolerance and for limiting herbicide contamination in the food chain.

The mediated influence of a traceability label on consumer’s willingness to buy the labelled product

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bradu, Cosmina; Orquin, Jacob Lund; Thøgersen, John

2014-01-01

and purchase behaviour. This study is, to the best of our knowledge, the first to show that an ethical label influences consumer decision-making through activating a holistic moral affective evaluation of the offering, rather than through strengthening the consumer’s knowledge base for a more qualified...... on the dual process models of persuasion (HSM and ELM), we conclude that consumers mainly process the traceability label in a heuristic way, through a peripheral route, making a fast and frugal, affect-based judgment, rather than one based on elaborate reasoning. Being one of the first empirical studies...

Mediatization Theory and Digital Media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Finnemann, Niels Ole

2011-01-01

In the 20th century, the term "media logic" was introduced to denote the influence of independent mass media on political systems and other institutions. In recent years the idea has been reworked and labelled "mediatization" to widen the framework by including new media and new areas of applicat......In the 20th century, the term "media logic" was introduced to denote the influence of independent mass media on political systems and other institutions. In recent years the idea has been reworked and labelled "mediatization" to widen the framework by including new media and new areas...

Hertwig’s Epithelial Root Sheath Fate during Initial Cellular Cementogenesis in Rat Molars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Tsuneyuki; Yamada, Tamaki; Yamamoto, Tomomaya; Hasegawa, Tomoka; Hongo, Hiromi; Oda, Kimimitsu; Amizuka, Norio

2015-01-01

To elucidate the fate of the epithelial root sheath during initial cellular cementogenesis, we examined developing maxillary first molars of rats by immunohistochemistry for keratin, vimentin, and tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNALP) and by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). The advancing root end was divided into three sections, which follow three distinct stages of initial cellular cementogenesis: section 1, where the epithelial sheath is intact; section 2, where the epithelial sheath becomes fragmented; and section 3, where initial cellular cementogenesis begins. After fragmentation of the epithelial sheath, many keratin-positive epithelial sheath cells were embedded in the rapidly growing cellular cementum. A few unembedded epithelial cells located on the cementum surface. Dental follicle cells, precementoblasts, and cementoblasts showed immunoreactivity for vimentin and TNALP. In all three sections, there were virtually no cells possessing double immunoreactivity for vimentin-keratin or TNALP-keratin and only embedded epithelial cells showed TUNEL reactivity. Taken together, these findings suggest that: (1) epithelial sheath cells divide into two groups; one group is embedded in the cementum and thereafter dies by apoptosis, and the other survives on the cementum surface as epithelial cell rests of Malassez; and (2) epithelial sheath cells do not undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition during initial cellular cementogenesis

Steroid sulfatase and sulfuryl transferase activities in human brain tumors

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kříž, L.; Bičíková, M.; Mohapl, M.; Hill, M.; Černý, Ivan; Hampl, R.

2008-01-01

Roč. 109, č. 1 (2008), s. 31-39 ISSN 0960-0760 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : dehydroepiandrosterone * steroid sulfatase * steroid sulfuryl transferase * brain Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 2.827, year: 2008

Site-Specific Biomolecule Labeling with Gold Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Ackerson, Christopher J.; Powell, Richard D.; Hainfeld, James F.

2013-01-01

Site-specific labeling of biomolecules in vitro with gold clusters can enhance the information content of electron cryomicroscopy experiments. This chapter provides a practical overview of well-established techniques for forming biomolecule/gold cluster conjugates. Three bioconjugation chemistries are covered: Linker-mediated bioconjugation, direct gold–biomolecule bonding, and coordination-mediated bonding of nickel(II) nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-derivatized gold clusters to polyhistidine (His)-tagged proteins. PMID:20887859

W. Horsley Gantt, Nick, and the Pavlovian Science at Phipps Clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz, Gabriel; Sánchez, Natividad

2016-10-24

William Horsley Gantt is well known as one to the principal proponents of Pavlovian methodology in the U.S. After a long stay at Ivan Petrovich Pavlov's laboratory in Leningrad from 1925 to 1929, Gantt was invited by Adolf Meyer to join the Henry Phipps Psychiatric Clinic, where he founded and directed the Pavlovian Laboratory from 1930 to 1964. Soon after his arrival at Phipps Clinic in 1931, Gantt began a Pavlovian research program that included the investigation of nervous disturbances in dogs and clinical researches with psychiatric patients. In these studies, Gantt combined a physiological method (the conditional reflexes approach), with a psychiatric problem (nervous disorders) in the context of Meyer's psychobiology that established the person or individual as unit of analysis. This fact, concentrating upon a single individual, made Gantt studies with dogs recognizable and interesting to physicians, psychologists, and psychiatrists who also worked on individuals. In this paper, we use archival materials -including correspondence, notebooks, and unpublished autobiographical material- to present a case study, that of William Horsley Gantt and his dog Nick. We will explore the reasons why Gantt' studies on nervous disturbances with this dog captured the interest of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists.

Homogentisate solanesyl transferase (HST) cDNA’s in maize

Science.gov (United States)

Maize white seedling 3 (w3) has served as a model albino-seedling mutant since its discovery in 1923. We show that the w3 phenotype is caused by disruptions in homogentisate solanesyl transferase (HST), an enzyme that catalyzes the committed step in plastoquinone-9 (PQ9) biosynthesis. This reaction ...

Quercetin-mediated synthesis of graphene oxide–silver nanoparticle nanocomposites: a suitable alternative nanotherapy for neuroblastoma

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Yuan YG

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Yu-Guo Yuan,1 Yan-Hong Wang,1 Hui-Hui Xing,1 Sangiliyandi Gurunathan2 1Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Background: Graphene and graphene-related materials have gained substantial interest from both academia and industry for the development of unique nanomaterials for biomedical applications. Graphene oxide (GO and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs are a valuable platform for the development of nanocomposites, permitting the combination of nanomaterials with different physical and chemical properties to generate novel materials with improved and effective functionalities in a single platform. Therefore, this study was conducted to synthesize a graphene oxide–silver nanoparticle (GO-AgNPs nanocomposite using the biomolecule quercetin and evaluate the potential cytotoxicity and mechanism of GO-AgNPs in human neuroblastoma cancer cells (SH-SY5Y.Methods: The synthesized GO-AgNPs were characterized using various analytical techniques. The potential toxicities of GO-AgNPs were evaluated using a series of biochemical and cellular assays. The expression of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes was measured by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Further, apoptosis was confirmed by caspase-9/3 activity and a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay, and GO-AgNPs-induced autophagy was also confirmed by transmission electron microscopy.Results: The prepared GO-AgNPs exhibited significantly higher cytotoxicity toward SH-SY5Y cells than GO. GO-AgNPs induced significant cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells by the loss of cell viability, inhibition of cell proliferation, increased leakage of lactate dehydrogenase, decreased level of

Modification of the Campylobacter jejuni N-linked glycan by EptC protein-mediated addition of phosphoethanolamine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scott, Nichollas E; Nothaft, Harald; Edwards, Alistair V G

2012-01-01

. Interrogation of these data allowed the identification of a phosphoethanolamine (pEtN)-modified variant of the N-glycan that was attached to multiple proteins. The pEtN moiety was attached to the terminal GalNAc of the canonical N-glycan. Deletion of the pEtN transferase eptC removed all evidence of the p......, yet above background levels of pEtN-glycan were also observed in E. coli not expressing eptC, suggesting that endogenous E. coli pEtN transferases can mediate the addition of pEtN to N-glycans. The addition of pEtN must be considered in the context of glycoengineering and may alter C. jejuni glycan...

Distribution of 99Tcm-rh-Annexin V and its relationship with expression of survivin and Caspase-3 in tumors after a single dose of chemotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xin; Zhang Yanjun; Tao Li; Zhu Yi; Yang Chun; Li Yaming; Zhang Jianying; Zhao Zhenzhen; Ji Xiaopeng; Zhao Ming; Tian Aijuan

2008-01-01

Objective: Recently, molecular imaging for detecting cellular apoptosis is developing rapidly. The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of imaging with 99 Tc m labelled recombinant human Annexin V ( 99 Tc m -rh-Annexin V) as a reflection of apoptosis in tumor, and related its distribution with expression of Survivin and Caspase-3 after a single dose of chemotherapy. Methods: Eight days after being inoculated with allogenic hepatoma cells (Hca-F25) into right axillary fossa, the mice (purebred 615) were randomly divided into two groups (control group A, n=9; and treated group B, n=10). Group B was received a single dose of chemotherapy intraperitoneally (cyclophosphamide, 150 mg/kg). Groups A and B were given 99 Tc m -rh-AnnexinV (3.7 MBq·0.5 μg -1 per mouse) intravenously 20 h later. Four hours after 99 Tc m -rh-Annexin V injection, the animals were imaged and sacrificed, and the tumor samples were weighed and the radioactivity was determined in a well-counter. The accumulation of 99 Tc m -rh-Annexin V in tumor was expressed as the percentage activity of injection dose per gram of tissue (% ID/g). Tumor cell apoptosis was examined by terminal deoxynueleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) method, and the expression of Survivin and Caspase-3 in tumor were determined with immunohistochemical method. SPSS 10.0 was used for data analysis. Results: Single dose chemotherapy tsignificantly increased the tumor uptake of 99 Tc m -rh-Annexin V [(0.478 ± 0.123)% ID/g vs (0.332 ± 0.061)% ID/g] and the positive number of TUNEL [(18.030 ± 5.600) cells/field vs (6.744 ± 2.325) cells/field], as well as the expression of Caspase-3 [(3.266 ± 0.482)% vs (2.387 ± 0.387)%, F was 10.502, 31.507, 18.971, respectively, all P 99 Tc m -rh-Annexin V correlated positively well with the expression of Caspase-3 and negatively with the expression of Survivin (P 99 Tc m -rh-Annexin V can not only reflect the extent of apoptosis

Nucleotide sequence of the 3' ends of the double-stranded RNAs of grapevine chrome mosaic nepovirus.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Gall, O; Candresse, T; Dunez, J

1988-02-01

Attempts were made to label the termini of dsRNAs corresponding to the two genomic RNAs of grapevine chrome mosaic nepovirus (GCMV). It was not possible to label the 5' ends of the dsRNAs with [gamma-32P]ATP, which suggests that a genome-linked protein blocks their 5' ends. Both dsRNA species were labelled at their 3' ends with pCp. The 3'-terminal sequences were determined by 'wandering spot' or by partial enzymic cleavage analysis. One strand (presumably positive) ended in a poly(A) 30 to 50 nucleotides long whereas the other (presumably negative) ended in 3'-ACCUUUUAAAAAG (RNA1) or 3'-ACCUUUUAAUAAAG (RNA2). The sequences resemble closely those complementary to the 5' ends of the RNAs of tomato black ring virus (strain S), which is distantly related to GCMV.

Modest blood pressure reduction with valsartan in acute ischemic stroke: a prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded-end-point trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Mi Sun; Yu, Kyung-Ho; Hong, Keun-Sik; Kang, Dong-Wha; Park, Jong-Moo; Bae, Hee-Joon; Koo, Jaseong; Lee, Juneyoung; Lee, Byung-Chul

2015-07-01

To assess the efficacy and safety of modest blood pressure (BP) reduction with valsartan within 48 h after symptom onset in patients with acute ischemic stroke and high BP. This was a multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded-end-point trial. A total of 393 subjects were recruited at 28 centers and then randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive valsartan (n = 195) or no treatment (n = 198) for seven-days after presentation. The primary outcome was death or dependency, defined as a score of 3-6 on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days after symptom onset. Early neurological deterioration (END) within seven-days and 90-day major vascular events were also assessed. There were 372 patients who completed the 90-day follow-up. The valsartan group had 46 of 187 patients (24·6%) with a 90-day mRS 3-6, compared with 42 of 185 patients (22·6%) in the control group (odds ratio [OR], 1·11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0·69-1·79; P = 0·667). The rate of major vascular events did not differ between groups (OR, 1·41; 95% CI, 0·44-4·49; P = 0·771). There was a significant increase of END in the valsartan group (OR, 2·43; 95% CI, 1·25-4·73; P = 0·008). Early reduction of BP with valsartan did not reduce death or dependency and major vascular events at 90 days, but increased the risk of END. © 2015 World Stroke Organization.