Role of serum Metadherin mRNA expression in the diagnosis and prediction of survival in patients with colorectal cancer

Molecular Biology Reports - Early diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) are important for improving patients’ survival. Metadherin is an oncogene that plays a pivotal role in...     

Expression of Dystrophins and the Dystrophin-Associated-Protein Complex by Pituicytes in Culture

The dystrophin-associated-protein complex (DAPC) has been extensively characterized in the central nervous system where it is localized both in neuronal and glial cells. Few studies have characterized this complex in the neurohypophysis. To further study this complex in pituicytes, the resident astroglia of the neurophypophysis, we used adult pituicyte cultures and determined the expression and localization of dystrophins/utrophins and the DAPC by RT–PCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence. Our data show that the pituicytes express dystrophins, utrophins and several members of the DAPC including dystroglycans, δ-, γ-sarcoglycans, α-dystrobrevin-1 and α1-syntrophin. Double immunofluorescence analysis shows that laminin colocalizes with dystroglycan, suggesting that similarly to muscle and astrocytes, the DAPC interacts with the extracellular matrix in pituicytes. Collectively these findings show that dystrophins/utrophins and members of the DAPC are expressed in pituicytes where they may form multiprotein complexes and play a role in the retraction-reinsertion of pituicyte endfeet during specific physiological conditions.     

Pyrrolidine-pyrazole ureas as potent and selective inhibitors of 11β-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase type 1

A High Throughput Screening campaign allowed the identification of a novel class of ureas as 11β-HSD1 inhibitors. Rational chemical optimization provided potent and selective inhibitors of both human and murine 11β-HSD1 with an appropriate ADME profile and ex vivo activity in target tissues.     

High salt stress induces swollen prothylakoids in dark-grown wheat and alters both prolamellar body transformation and reformation after irradiation

High salinity causes ion imbalance and osmotic stress in plants. Leaf sections from 8-d-old dark-grown wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Giza 168) were exposed to high salt stress (600 mM) and the native arrangements of plastid pigments together with the ultrastructure of the plastids were studied using low-temperature fluorescence spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Although plastids from salt-treated leaves had highly swollen prothylakoids (PTs) the prolamellar bodies (PLBs) were regular. Accordingly, a slight intensity decrease of the short-wavelength protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) form was observed, but no change was found in the long-wavelength Pchlide form emitting at 656 nm. After irradiation, newly formed swollen thylakoids showed traversing stromal strands. The PLB dispersal was partly inhibited and remnants of the PLBs formed an electron-dense structure, which remained after prolonged (8 h) irradiation. The difference in fluorescence emission maximum of the main chlorophyll form in salt-stressed leaves (681 nm) and in control leaves (683 nm) indicated a restrained formation of the photosynthetic apparatus. Overall chlorophyll accumulation during prolonged irradiation was inhibited. Salt-stressed leaves returned to darkness after 3 h of irradiation had, compared with the control, a reduced amount of Pchlide and reduced re-formation of regular net-like PLBs. Instead, the size of the electron-dense structures increased. This study reports, for the first time, the salt-induced swelling of PTs and reveals traversing stromal strands in newly formed thylakoids. Although the PLBs were intact and the Pchlide fluorescence emission spectra appeared normal after salt stress in darkness, plastid development to chloroplasts was highly restricted during irradiation.     

High salt stress in wheat leaves causes retardation of chlorophyll accumulation due to a limited rate of protochlorophyllide formation

When exposed to salt stress, leaves from dark-grown wheat seedlings ( Triticum aestivum , cv. Giza 168) showed reduced accumulation of chlorophyll during irradiation. To elucidate the mechanism behind salt-influenced reduction of chlorophyll biosynthesis, we have investigated the effect of salt stress on the spectral forms of Pchlide, the phototransformation of Pchlide to Chlide, the Shibata shift, the regeneration of Pchlide and the accumulation of Pchlide from 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). We found that the phototransformation of Pchlide to Chlide was not affected by salt stress. The blue shift (Shibata shift) of newly formed Chlide was delayed both after flash irradiation and in continuous light. The reformation of Pchlide in darkness after a flash irradiation or after a period of 3-h irradiation was retarded in the salt-treated leaves. However, after a 20-h dark period, Pchlide was reformed even in salt-treated leaves but the formation of short-wavelength Pchlide was suppressed. Compared to controls, salt treatment also reduced the amount of Pchlide accumulated in leaves floated on ALA. The increase in the low temperature fluorescence emission spectrum at 735 nm, which occurred gradually during several hours of irradiation with continuous light in control leaves, was completely suppressed in salt-treated leaves. It is concluded that salt stress inhibits chlorophyll accumulation partly by reducing the rate of porphyrin formation but, as discussed, also by a possible reduction in the formation of chlorophyll-binding proteins.     

A reassessment of the function of the so-called compatible solutes in the halophytic plumbaginaceae Limonium latifolium

The compatible solute hypothesis posits that maintaining osmotic equilibrium under conditions of high salinity requires synthesis of organic compounds, uptake of potassium ions, and partial exclusion of NaCl. To assess whether osmotic adaptation in Limonium latifolium proceeds according to this hypothesis, a comprehensive analysis of solute accumulation during NaCl treatments was conducted. Determination of prevailing inorganic ions and establishment of the metabolic profiles for low M(r) organic substances revealed that contrary to the mentioned hypothesis the major contributors to osmolarity were constituted by inorganic solutes. Independent of salinity, only 25% of this osmolarity resulted from organic solutes such as Suc and hexoses. Proline (Pro), beta-alanine betaine, and choline-O-sulfate were minor contributors to osmolarity. Compatible inositols also occurred, especially chiro-inositol, characterized for the first time in this species, to our knowledge. Principal component analysis showed that only a limited number of metabolic reconfigurations occurred in response to dynamic changes in salinity. Under such conditions only sugars, chiro-inositol, and Pro behave as active osmobalancers. Analysis of metabolic profiles during acclimatization to either mild salinity or nonsaline conditions showed that organic solute accumulation is predominantly controlled by constitutive developmental programs, some of which might be slightly modulated by salinity. Osmolarity provided under such conditions can be sufficient to maintain turgor in salinized seedlings. Compartmental analysis of Pro and beta-alanine betaine in leaf tissues demonstrated that these solutes, mainly located in vacuoles under nonsaline conditions, could be partly directed to the cytosol in response to salinization. Thus they did not conform with the predictions of the compatible solute hypothesis.     

Adiaspiromycosis of an Apodemus agrarius captured wild rodent in Korea

Adiaspiromycosis is caused by pulmonary infection with Emmonsia. Inhalated spores of Emmonsia cause asymptomatic infection to necrogranulomatous pneumonia, depending on the burden of adiaspore and host immunity. For disease monitoring of wild rodents captured on Jeju Island in Korea, we examined the lung tissue of wild rodents histopathologically. Spores composed of thick three-layered walls were found following histopathological examination and were diagnosed as adiaspiromycosis. Adiaspiromycosis has been found in mammals in many parts of the world. To our knowledge, this is the first report of adiaspiromycosis of an Apodemus agrarius captured in Korea.     

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel quinazoline derivatives as potential anti-cancer agents

Twenty-two quinazoline derivatives have been synthesised and examined for their anti-tumour activity against three tumour cell lines, namely human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) and human hepatoma cell line (HepG2). Twelve of the tested compounds have shown promising anti-tumour activity with an IC(50) range of 5.0-9.7 μg/mL. Regarding the spectrum of activity, five compounds exhibited interesting anti-proliferative properties against the three tested cell lines comparable to the reference drug (dasatinib).     

The effect of strength training at the same time of the day on the diurnal fluctuations of muscular anaerobic performances

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of training at the same time of the day on the diurnal variations of anaerobic performances to provide some recommendations to adjust training hours with the time of the day of competitive events. Thirty participants underwent 8 weeks of lower-extremity progressive resistance training performed 3 times per week designed to promote muscular strength and power. These subjects were randomly assigned to a morning training group (MTG, 07:00-08:00 hours, n = 10), an evening training group (ETG, 17:00-18:00 hours, n = 10), and a control group (CG, completed all tests but did not train, n = 10). Performance in the squat jump, the countermovement jump, the Wingate and 1 repetition maximum (1RM) during leg extension, leg curl, and squat tests was recorded just before and 2 weeks after an 8-week course of regular training. For all the subjects, the morning and evening tests were scheduled at the same time of the day as for the morning and evening training sessions. Before training, the results indicated a significant increase in performance from morning to evening tests (ca. 2.84-17.55% for all tests) for all groups. After training, the diurnal variations in anaerobic performances were blunted in the MTG. In fact, there was no significant difference in muscular power or strength between morning and evening tests. However, these intradaily variations in anaerobic performances persisted in the ETG and CG. From a practical point of view, adaptation to strength training is greater at the time of the day at which training was scheduled than at other times.