Pigment epithelium-derived factor in ulcerative colitis: possible relationship with disease activity

OBJECTIVES: Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is an endogenous most potential angiogenic inhibitor and increased expression of PEDF in intestinal mucosa specimens was shown in the course of ulcerative colitis (UC). The aim of the present study was to evaluate serum concentration of pigment epithelium-derived growth factor, a potent anti-angiogenic factor and its possible association with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels and disease activity. METHODS: Concentrations of PEDF and VEGF were measured in sera of 33 patients (13 females and 20 males) with active UC. RESULTS: There was significant increase of serum PEDF (32.3+/-2.9 vs. 20.6+/-4.7 ng/mL, P<0.05) as well as VEGF (326.4+/-58.1 vs. 110.9+/-15.7 pg/mL, P<0.05) in UC patients compared to healthy controls. Serum PEDF showed strong, positive correlation with endoscopic score (r=0.622, P<0.001), while such association was absent in respect to VEGF (r=0.05, P=0.77). In contrast serum VEGF decreased in severe UC comparing to patients with a mild course of disease, however the difference was not significant (274.9+/-64.9 vs. 360.4+/-103.4 pg/mL, P=0.53). CONCLUSIONS: Increase in serum PEDF during UC, especially in severe forms of disease suggests its involvement in UC pathogenesis.     

Antagonism of metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 attenuates l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia and its molecular and neurochemical correlates in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

Metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 (mGluR5) modulates dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission at central synapses. In this study, we addressed the role of mGluR5 in l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia, a movement disorder that is due to abnormal activation of both dopamine and glutamate receptors in the basal ganglia. A selective and potent mGluR5 antagonist, 3-[(2-methyl-1,3-thiazol-4-yl)ethynyl] pyridine, was tested for its ability to modulate molecular, behavioural and neurochemical correlates of dyskinesia in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats treated with l-DOPA. The compound significantly attenuated the induction of abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) by chronic l-DOPA treatment at doses that did not interfere with the rat physiological motor activities. These effects were paralleled by an attenuation of molecular changes that are strongly associated with the dyskinesiogenic action of l-DOPA (i.e. up-regulation of prodynorphin mRNA in striatal neurons). Using in vivo microdialysis, we found a temporal correlation between the expression of l-DOPA-induced AIMs and an increased GABA outflow within the substantia nigra pars reticulata. When co-administered with l-DOPA, 3-[(2-methyl-1,3-thiazol-4-yl)ethynyl] pyridine greatly attenuated both the increase in nigral GABA levels and the expression of AIMs. These data demonstrate that mGluR5 antagonism produces strong anti-dyskinetic effects in an animal model of Parkinson's disease through central inhibition of the molecular and neurochemical underpinnings of l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia.     

Serum soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) in patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

Esophageal carcinomas have been shown to express Fas ligand (FasL) and down-regulate Fas to escape from host immune surveillance. Circulating soluble FasL (sFasL) has been suggested to provide protection from Fas-mediated apoptosis. The aim of this study was to assess serum sFasL levels in esophageal cancer. The pretreatment levels of sFasL in the serum of 100 patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer and 41 healthy volunteers were determined by ELISA. Probability of survival was calculated according to the method of Kaplan-Meier. The prognostic influence of high and low level of sFasL was analyzed with the log-rank test. The mean serum level of sFasL in patients with esophageal cancer was significantly higher than that in healthy donors (1.567+/-1.786 vs 0.261+/-0.435, p<0.0001). The levels of serum sFasL were significantly higher in advanced stages (II vs IV p<0.034; III vs IV p<0.041; except II vs III p=0.281), patients with lymph node (N0 vs N1 p<0.0389) or distant (M0 vs. M1 p<0.0388) metastases and significantly lower in patients with well differentiated tumors (G1 vs G2 p<0.0272). The serum levels of soluble FasL were not related to gender, age, tumor size, T-stage, tobacco smoking and history of chronic alcohol intake. The survival difference between pretreatment high and low level of sFasL in surgery and chemio- and/or radiotherapy group was not statistically significant (p=0.525; p=0.840). Our results indicate that elevated serum sFasL levels might be associated with a disease progression in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.     

In the beginning: the initiation of meiosis

The most-critical point of reproductive development in all sexually reproducing species is the transition from mitotic to meiotic cell cycle. Studies in unicellular fungi have indicated that the decision to enter meiosis must be made before the beginning of the premeiotic S phase. Recent data from the mouse suggest that this timing of meiosis initiation is a universal feature shared also by multicellular eukaryotes. In contrast, the signaling cascade that leads to meiosis initiation shows great diversity among species.     

The platinum complexes with histamine: Pt(II)(Hist)Cl2, Pt(II)(Iodo-Hist)Cl2 and Pt(IV)(Hist)2Cl2

The Pt(II) and Pt(IV) complexes with histamine were calculated by using more than 20 DFT functionals and various basis sets. Based on the comparison between the X-ray and theoretical geometrical parameters of the Pt(II)(Hist)Cl₂ complex the MPW1PW91, OPW91 and SVWN5 functionals combined with the 6-311G^∗∗ basis set for non-metallic and SDD (ECP) basis set for platinum were found to yield the most satisfactory agreement. The structure of the Pt(II) complex with iodohistamine important for pharmacy, so far isolated only in minute amounts, was predicted by using the MPW1PW91 functional. Comparison of the theoretical NMR chemical shifts of the Pt(II)(Hist)Cl₂ complex with those found experimentally have shown that the theoretical ¹H and ¹³C NMR chemical shifts are in plausible agreement with the experimental ones, whereas the theoretical ¹⁹⁵Pt chemical shifts fit the experimental values only when the relativistic approach is applied within the ZORA formalism. We confirmed suitability of the three selected functionals for reproduction of the experimental structure of Pt complexes at fourth oxidation state by using the cis- and ions as models. Finally, with the selected theoretical methods, the structures and stabilities of four Pt(IV)(Hist)₂Cl₂ complex isomers were predicted.     

Achromatopsia: the CNGB3 p.T383fsX mutation results from a founder effect and is responsible for the visual phenotype in the original report of uniparental disomy 14

Achromatopsia (ACHM) or rod monochromacy is an autosomal recessive and genetically heterogeneous retinal disorder. It is characterized by a lack of color discrimination, poor visual acuity, photodysphoria, pendular infantile nystagmus, and abnormal photopic electroretinographic (ERG) recordings with preservation of rod-mediated function. Mutations in three known genes are causative; including genes for the α and β subunits of the cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channel (CNGA3 and CNGB3, respectively) and cone photoreceptor transducin—GNAT2. We investigated the prevalence of mutations in achromatopsia-causing genes in a cohort of 16 families with both clinical and electrophysiologic evidence consistent with autosomal recessive transmission, including one subject with achromatopsia and maternal isodisomy for chromosome 14. The most frequent mutation, p.T383fsX in CNGB3, accounted for 75% (18/24) of disease-associated alleles; intragenic SNPs in unrelated patients revealed transmission of a common haplotype consistent with a founder effect. Homozygous p.T383fsX mutation in CNGB3 that maps to chromosome 8 was detected in a patient with achromatopsia and systemic features associated with uniparental disomy (UPD) of chromosome 14. Two novel variants, p.R223G and p.A621E were found in CNGA3. We conclude that CNGA3 and CNGB3 mutations are responsible for the substantial majority of achromatopsia. Furthermore, the CNGB3 mutation p.T383fsX is a predominant mutation, results from a founder effect, and is responsible for the ACHM in the original clinical report of UPD 14.     

Molecular basis of human CD36 gene mutations

CD36 is a transmembrane glycoprotein of the class B scavenger receptor family. The CD36 gene is located on chromosome 7 q11.2 and is encoded by 15 exons. Defective CD36 is a likely candidate gene for impaired fatty acid metabolism, glucose intolerance, atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, diabetes, cardiomyopathy, Alzheimer disease, and modification of the clinical course of malaria. Contradictory data concerning the effects of antiatherosclerotic drugs on CD36 expression indicate that further investigation of the role of CD36 in the development of atherosclerosis may be important for the prevention and treatment of this disease. This review summarizes current knowledge of CD36 gene structure, splicing, and mutations and the molecular, metabolic, and clinical consequences of these phenomena.