Expression,localization and possible functions of aquaporins 3 and 8 in rat digestive system

Although aquaporins (AQPs) play important roles in transcellular water movement, their precise quantification and localization remains controversial. We investigated expression levels and localizations of AQP3 and AQP8 and their possible functions in the rat digestive system using real-time polymerase chain reactions, western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. We investigated the expression levels and localizations of AQP3 and AQP8 in esophagus, forestomach, glandular stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, proximal and distal colon, and liver. AQP3 was expressed in the basolateral membranes of stratified epithelia (esophagus and forestomach) and simple columnar epithelia (glandular stomach, ileum, and proximal and distal colon). Expression was particularly abundant in the esophagus, and proximal and distal colon. AQP8 was found in the subapical compartment of columnar epithelial cells of the jejunum, ileum, proximal colon and liver; the most intense staining occurred in the jejunum. Our results suggest that AQP3 and AQP8 play significant roles in intestinal function and/or fluid homeostasis and may be an important subject for future investigation of disorders that involve disruption of intestinal fluid homeostasis, such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome.     

Protective effect of triphala on radiation induced acute intestinal mucosal damage in Sprague Dawley rats

Aim of the study was to determine protective effect of triphala on radiation-induced rectal mucosal damage. Male Sprague Dawley rats (30) were divided into 5 groups. Rats in group A were sham irradiated and rats in group B underwent only irradiation. Rats in group C were administered triphala 1 g/kg/day orally for 5 consecutive days before irradiation. Rats in group D and E were administered triphala 1 and 1.5 g/kg/day orally for 10 consecutive days, respectively. Rectal mucosal damage was induced by a single fraction of 12.5Gy gamma irradiation (Ir-192) on 5th day. All the rats were autopsied on 11th day and histological changes in surface epithelium, glands, and lamina propria were assessed. Proctitis showed significant improvement in surface epithelium (P < 0.024), glands (P < 0.000) and lamina propria (P < 0.002) in group E compared to group B. Rats in group E showed significantly less change in glands (P < 0.000) compared to rats in group D, All histological variables (surface epithelium, P < 0.001; glands, P < 0.000; lamina propria, P < 0.003) compared to rats in group C. In a Tukey-b test, group E had a significantly recovered grade for glands (P < 0.000) compared to groups B, C and D. Results of the present study showed that high-dose triphala improved radiation-induced damage of glands.     

Genetic susceptibility on CagA-interacting molecules and gene-environment interaction with phytoestrogens: a putative risk factor for gastric cancer

Objectives

To evaluate whether genes that encode CagA-interacting molecules (SRC, PTPN11, CRK, CRKL, CSK, c-MET and GRB2) are associated with gastric cancer risk and whether an interaction between these genes and phytoestrogens modify gastric cancer risk.

Methods

In the discovery phase, 137 candidate SNPs in seven genes were analyzed in 76 incident gastric cancer cases and 322 matched controls from the Korean Multi-Center Cancer Cohort. Five significant SNPs in three genes (SRC, c-MET and CRK) were re-evaluated in 386 cases and 348 controls in the extension phase. Odds ratios (ORs) for gastric cancer risk were estimated adjusted for age, smoking, H. pylori seropositivity and CagA strain positivity. Summarized ORs in the total study population (462 cases and 670 controls) were presented using pooled- and meta-analysis. Plasma concentrations of phytoestrogens (genistein, daidzein, equol and enterolactone) were measured using the time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay.

Results

SRC rs6122566, rs6124914, c-MET rs41739, and CRK rs7208768 showed significant genetic effects for gastric cancer in both the pooled and meta-analysis without heterogeneity (pooled OR = 3.96 [95% CI 2.05–7.65], 1.24 [95% CI = 1.01–1.53], 1.19 [95% CI = 1.01–1.41], and 1.37 [95% CI = 1.15–1.62], respectively; meta OR = 4.59 [95% CI 2.74–7.70], 1.36 [95% CI = 1.09–1.70], 1.20 [95% CI = 1.00–1.44], and 1.32 [95% CI = 1.10–1.57], respectively). Risk allele of CRK rs7208768 had a significantly increased risk for gastric cancer at low phytoestrogen levels (p interaction<0.05).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that SRC, c-MET and CRK play a key role in gastric carcinogenesis by modulating CagA signal transductions and interaction between CRK gene and phytoestrogens modify gastric cancer risk.     

Expanding the zebrafish embryo proteome using multiple fractionation approaches and tandem mass spectrometry

The proteome of zebrafish, Danio rerio, embryos has not been studied in great detail mainly due to the presence of high abundance yolk proteins in embryos. Here we report the highest number of the zebrafish embryo proteins identified so far to our knowledge, through a combination of a protein-level fractionation approach (1D SDS-PAGE) and two different peptide-level fractionation approaches (IEF and strong anion exchange (SAX)) of deyolked zebrafish embryos followed by LC-MS/MS. We detected 5267 proteins in total of which 3464 proteins were identified with at least two peptides (less than 1% peptide false discovery rate). The analysis of proteome coverage from each method showed that 56% of detected proteins were common to all approaches and 95% of the detected proteome was obtained from 1D SDS-PAGE approach alone. Bioinformatics analysis of the detected proteome demonstrated that nucleocytoplasmic transport (biological process) and ribosomal proteins (cellular component) were the most over-represented proteins, whereas cell-cell signaling (biological process) and extracellular space proteins (cellular component) were the most under-represented proteins in the identified proteome.     

Natural anti-HIV agents-part I: (+)-demethoxyepiexcelsin and verticillatol from Litsea verticillata

The eudesmane sesquiterpenoid, verticillatol (1), as well as the lignan, (+)-5'-demethoxyepiexcelsin (2), and a known lignan, (+)-epiexcelsin (3), were isolated from Litsea verticillata Hance. Lignan 2 showed moderate anti-HIV activity with an IC(50) value of 16.4 microg/ml (42.7 microM), while the known lignan 3 was inactive up to a concentration of 20 microg/ml (48.3 microM). Compound 1 demonstrated weak activity with an IC(50) value of 34.5 microg/ml (144.7 microM) while being devoid of cytotoxicity at 20 microg/ml. The structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, and the absolute configuration of the new sesquiterpenoid was determined by the generation of Mosher esters.     

Microbial exposure during early human development primes fetal immune cells

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Therapeutic potential of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides in downregulating p53 oncogenic mutations in cancers

Purpose of work  

Mutation of the p53 gene is the most common genetic alteration in human cancers. Our study proposes to rationally design a p53 antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) repository, which contains a series of ASOs containing single nucleotide differences to discriminate between each mutant and wild type (WT) p53.     

Mechanical force inhibits osteoclastogenic potential of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts through OPG production and ERK‐mediated signaling

Periodontal ligament and gingival fibroblasts play important roles in bone remodeling. Periodontal ligament fibroblasts stimulate bone remodeling while gingival fibroblasts protect abnormal bone resorption. However, few studies had examined the differences in stimulation of osteoclast formation between the two fibroblast populations. The precise effect of mechanical forces on osteoclastogenesis of these populations is also unknown. This study revealed that more osteoclast‐like cells were induced in the co‐cultures of bone marrow cells with periodontal ligament than gingival fibroblasts, and this was considerably increased when anti‐osteoprotegerin (OPG) antibody was added to the co‐cultures. mRNA levels of receptor activator of nuclear factor‐kappaB ligand (RANKL) were increased in both populations when they were cultured with dexamethasone and vitamin D₃. Centrifugal forces inhibited osteoclastogenesis of both populations, and this was likely related to the force‐induced OPG up‐regulation. Inhibition of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) signaling by a pharmacological inhibitor (10 µM PD98059) or by siERK transfection suppressed the force‐induced OPG up‐regulation along with the augmentation of osteoclast‐like cells that were decreased by the force. These results suggest that periodontal ligament fibroblasts are naturally better at osteoclast induction than gingival fibroblasts, and that centrifugal force inhibited osteoclastogenesis of the periodontal fibroblasts through OPG production and ERK activation. J. Cell. Biochem. 106: 1010–1019, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Arginine in α-defensins: differential effects on bactericidal activity correspond to geometry of membrane curvature generation and peptide-lipid phase behavior

The conserved tridisulfide array of the α-defensin family imposes a common triple-stranded β-sheet topology on peptides that may have highly diverse primary structures, resulting in differential outcomes after targeted mutagenesis. In mouse cryptdin-4 (Crp4) and rhesus myeloid α-defensin-4 (RMAD4), complete substitutions of Arg with Lys affect bactericidal peptide activity very differently. Lys-for-Arg mutagenesis attenuates Crp4, but RMAD4 activity remains mostly unchanged. Here, we show that the differential biological effect of Lys-for-Arg replacements can be understood by the distinct phase behavior of the experimental peptide-lipid system. In Crp4, small-angle x-ray scattering analyses showed that Arg-to-Lys replacements shifted the induced nanoporous phases to a different range of lipid compositions compared with the Arg-rich native peptide, consistent with the attenuation of bactericidal activity by Lys-for-Arg mutations. In contrast, such phases generated by RMAD4 were largely unchanged. The concordance between small-angle x-ray scattering measurements and biological activity provides evidence that specific types of α-defensin-induced membrane curvature-generating tendencies correspond directly to bactericidal activity via membrane destabilization.