Influence of Genes Suppressing Interferon Effects in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells during Triple Antiviral Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C

The levels of expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in liver are associated with response to treatment with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV). However, associations between the responses of ISGs to IFN-based therapy and treatment efficacy or interleukin-28B (IL28B) genotype have not yet been determined. Therefore, we investigated the early responses of ISGs and interferon-lambdas (IFN-λs) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) during PEG-IFN/RBV plus NS3/4 protease inhibitor (PI) therapy. We prospectively enrolled 50 chronic hepatitis C patients with HCV genotype 1, and collected PBMCs at baseline, 8 and 24 h after the initial administration of PEG-IFN/RBV/PI. Levels of mRNAs for selected ISGs and IFN-λs were evaluated by real-time PCR. All 31 patients with a favorable IL28B genotype and 13 of 19 with an unfavorable genotype achieved sustained virological responses (SVR). Levels of mRNA for A20, SOCS1, and SOCS3, known to suppress antiviral activity by interfering with the IFN signaling pathway, as well as IRF1 were significantly higher at 8 h in patients with an unfavorable IL28B genotype than in those with a favorable one (P = 0.007, 0.026, 0.0004, 0.0006, respectively), especially in the non-SVR group. Particularly, the fold-change of IRF1 at 8 h relative to baseline was significantly higher in non-SVR than in SVR cases with an unfavorable IL28B genotype (P = 0.035). In conclusion, levels of several mRNAs of genes suppressing antiviral activity in PBMCs during PEG-IFN/RBV/PI differed according to IL28B genotypes, paralleling treatment efficacy.     

Localization of laminin alpha4-chain in developing and adult human tissues.

Recent studies suggest important functions for laminin-8 (Ln-8; alpha4beta1gamma1) in vascular and blood cell biology, but its distribution in human tissues has remained elusive. We have raised a monoclonal antibody (MAb) FC10, and by enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA) and Western blotting techniques we show that it recognizes the human Ln alpha4-chain. Immunoreactivity for the Ln alpha4-chain was localized in tissues of mesodermal origin, such as basement membranes (BMs) of endothelia, adipocytes, and skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle cells. In addition, the Ln alpha4-chain was found in regions of some epithelial BMs, including epidermis, salivary glands, pancreas, esophageal and gastric glands, intestinal crypts, and some renal medullary tubules. Developmental differences in the distribution of Ln alpha4-chain were detected in skeletal muscle, walls of vessels, and intestinal crypts. Ln alpha4- and Ln alpha2-chains co-localized in BMs of fetal skeletal muscle cells and in some epithelial BMs, e.g., in gastric glands and acini of pancreas. Cultured human pulmonary artery endothelial (HPAE) cells produced Ln alpha4-chain as M(r) 180,000 and 200,000 doublet and rapidly deposited it to the growth substratum. In cell-free extracellular matrices of human kidney and lung, Ln alpha4-chain was found as M(r) 180,000 protein.     

Antipain and 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate: Phenomenology of effects on UV mutagenesis in V79 Chinese hamster cells

Antipain (AP) and 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) were tested in V79 Chinese hamster cells for cytotoxicity and effects on survival and 6-thioguanine-resistant (6TG^r) mutation after UV-irradiation. AP and/or TPA were relatively non-cytotoxic and had no significant effects on UV survival. Despite their non-mutagenicity, the recovery of UV-induced 6TG^r colonies was significantly enhanced by the pretreatment with either AP (0.5–2 mM) or TPA (0.1–1 μg/ml) only during the expression period before the 6TG selection at a low density of cells in the absence of AP or TPA. Such enhancing effects were maximal when AP or TPA was present during the late expression period after the mutation fixation and extensive dilution of DNA lesions. Reconstruction experiments revealed the antagonistic actions that TPA and AP tended to eliminate and increase, respectively, the metabolic co-operation. In the TPA-plus-AP treatment, AP abolished the TPA-enhanced recovery of induced mutants. Thus, it seems that TPA increases the mutant recovery largely through decreased metabolic co-operation and AP could modulate the mutation expression. Further, an error-prone inducible repair may not exist or, if it exists, AP may not inhibit it in V79 Chinese hamster cells.     

A compound CP-31398 suppresses excitotoxicity-induced neurodegeneration

Neurodegeneration causes dysfunction and degeneration of neurons and is triggered by various factors including genetic defects, free radicals, injury, and glutamate excitotoxicity. Among those, glutamate excitotoxicity is implicated in chronic disorders including AD and ALS, and in acute insults in the CNS including traumatic brain injury. Neurological disorders show hallmark morphological abnormalities such as axon degeneration and cell body death. The molecular mechanisms underlying excitotoxicity-induced neurodegeneration are complex and deciphering a molecular mechanism from one angle is beneficial to understand the process, however, still difficult to develop strategies to suppress excitotoxicity-induced degeneration due to existence of other mechanisms. Thus, directly identifying compounds that can modulate excitotoxicity-induced neurodegeneration and subsequently clarifiying the molecular mechanism is a valid approach to develop effective strategies to suppress neurodegeneration. We searched for compounds that can suppress excitotoxicity-induced neurodegeneration and found that CP-31398, a known compound that can rescue the structure and function of the tumor suppressor protein p53 mutant form and stabilize the active conformation of the p53 wild-type form, suppresses excitotoxicity-induced axon degeneration and cell body death. Moreover, CP-31398 suppresses mitochondrial dysfunction which has a strong correlation with excitotoxicity. Thus, our findings identify a compound that can serve as a novel modulator of neurodegeneration induced by glutamate excitotoxicity.     

Association between Soluble (Pro)Renin Receptor Concentration in Cord Blood and Small for Gestational Age Birth: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective

The (pro)renin receptor [(P)RR] has been recognized as a multifunctional receptor. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between plasma soluble (P)RR [s(P)RR] concentration in human cord blood (i.e., neonatal blood at birth) and small for gestational age (SGA) birth.

Methods

Participants were women with a singleton pregnancy who delivered at the National Center for Child Health and Development between January 2010 and December 2011. Inclusion criteria were availability of maternal pre-pregnancy and paternal body mass index, and the absence of structural anomalies in neonates. s(P)RR concentration in cord blood was measured in 621 neonates. The 621 pairs of mothers and neonates were categorized into four groups based on quartiles of s(P)RR concentrations in cord blood. SGA was defined as a birth weight below the 10^th percentile for gestational age. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between cord plasma s(P)RR concentration (quartiles) and incidence of SGA births.

Results

Among 621 neonates, 55 (8.9%) were diagnosed as SGA (SGA group) and 566 (91.1%) were not (non-SGA group). Average s(P)RR concentration in cord blood was 66.1±12.6 ng/ml (mean±standard deviation). There were 155 pairs in the first plasma s(P)RR concentration quartile (Q1: <58.2 ng/ml), 153 pairs in the second quartile (Q2: 58.2–65.1 ng/ml), 157 pairs in the third quartile (Q3: 65.1–73.1 ng/ml) and 156 pairs in the fourth quartile (Q4: >73.1 ng/ml). The distribution of SGA births was 18 (11.6%) in Q1, 14 (9.2%) in Q2, 16 (10.2%) in Q3 and 7 (4.5%) in Q4, respectively. The odds ratio of SGA births was 0.24 (95% confidence interval: 0.08–0.71) for the fourth quartile compared to the first quartile in multivariate models. The P-value for trend was also significant (P = 0.020).

Conclusion

High s(P)RR concentration is associated with a lower SGA birth likelihood.     

Histochemical analysis of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in psoriasis vulgaris

Psoriasis is a persistent cutaneous disease characterized by skin inflammation and infiltration of immunocytes such as lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages, concomitant with abnormal epidermal hyperproliferation. We previously showed that the serum level of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and its production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with psoriasis were closely correlated with the severity of clinical symptoms; however, the precise role of MIF in psoriatic epidermis remains to be clarified. The current study was carried out to elucidate the possible involvement of MIF in psoriasis, using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. In contrast to elevated serum MIF in psoriasis, MIF-positive staining in the lesional psoriatic epidermis was significantly decreased, as demonstrated by immunohistochemical analysis using an anti-MIF antibody. Consistent with this finding, we found, by in situ hybridization, that MIF mRNA concomitantly decreased in the psoriatic lesions. Although the reason for the different MIF levels in the psoriatic epidermis and in the circulation remains unknown, it is hypothesized that MIF, a potential growth factor, might be decreased in psoriatic lesions to counterregulate the abnormal epidermal proliferation caused by dysregulation of cytokines and growth factors.     

Effects of photosynthetic photon flux density,frequency, duty ratio,and their interactions on net photosynthetic rate of cos lettuce leaves under pulsed light: explanation based on photosynthetic-intermediate pool dynamics

Square-wave pulsed light is characterized by three parameters, namely average photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), pulsed-light frequency, and duty ratio (the ratio of light-period duration to that of the light–dark cycle). In addition, the light-period PPFD is determined by the averaged PPFD and duty ratio. We investigated the effects of these parameters and their interactions on net photosynthetic rate (P _n) of cos lettuce leaves for every combination of parameters. Averaged PPFD values were 0–500 µmol m^?2 s^?1. Frequency values were 0.1–1000 Hz. White LED arrays were used as the light source. Every parameter affected P _n and interactions between parameters were observed for all combinations. The P _n under pulsed light was lower than that measured under continuous light of the same averaged PPFD, and this difference was enhanced with decreasing frequency and increasing light-period PPFD. A mechanistic model was constructed to estimate the amount of stored photosynthetic intermediates over time under pulsed light. The results indicated that all effects of parameters and their interactions on P _n were explainable by consideration of the dynamics of accumulation and consumption of photosynthetic intermediates.     

Budding-specific lectin induced in epithelial cells is an extracellular matrix component for stem cell aggregation in tunicates.

We have examined immunocytochemically the expression, localization and in vivo function of a calcium-dependent and galactose-binding 14 x 10(3) Mr lectin purified from the budding tunicate, Polyandrocarpa misakiensis. Lectin granules first appeared in the inner epithelium of a double-walled bud vesicle. Soon after the bud entered the developmental phase, the granules were secreted into the mesenchymal space, where the lectin-positive extracellular matrix (ECM) developed. The lectin was also produced and secreted by granular leucocytes during budding. Hemoblasts, pluripotent stem cells in the blood, were often found in association with the ECM and they aggregated with epithelial cells to form organ rudiments. The lectin showed a high binding affinity for hemoblast precursors. The blockage of epithelial transformation of stem cells by galactose in in vivo bioassy was ineffective in the presence of the lectin. Polyclonal anti-lectin antibody prevented the hemoblasts spreading on the ECM and moving toward the epithelium, but it did not block the cell-cell adhesion of hemoblasts. By three days of bud development, lectin granules and ECM have almost disappeared from the developing bud together with a cessation of hemoblast aggregation. These results show that Polyandrocarpa lectin is a component of the ECM induced specifically in budding and suggest strongly that it plays a role in bud morphogenesis by directing the migration of pluripotent stem cells to the epithelium.     

Animalizing Effect of A23187 on Sea Urchin Embryos

Pulse treatment of sea urchin embryos with 3 μM A23187 for 2 hr starting at a stage in initial 10 hr period of development at 20°C, followed by a culture in normal sea water up to the pluteus corresponding stage (45 hr after fertilization), yielded many large exogastrulae with thin embryo walls. The pulse treatment starting at a time between 10 and 13 hr after fertilization yielded considerable number of large prisms and gastrulae having thin embryo walls. Probably, the pulse treatment exerts stimulating effects on ectodermal cell determination in whole span of pre-hatching period to produce animalized embryos. On the other hand, pulse treatment with A23187 in pre-hatching period exerts stage-specific effects on gut formation. Embryos, thus treated for 2 hr starting at stages between 3 and 5 hr after fertilization, produced quite small exoguts but those treated at stages between 7 and 8 hr formed well developed and long exoguts. In embryos treated at the other stages than above, guts or exoguts were almost the same in their size to those in normal ones. These effects of A23187 on morphogenesis were canceled by procaine, tetracaine and ruthenium red. Probably, artificial Ca²⁺signal induced by A23187 alters the determination of cell fates, programmed in pre-hatching period.