Binding of B‐cell maturation antigen to B‐cell activating factor induces survival of multiple myeloma cells by activating Akt and JNK signaling pathways

B‐cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is expressed on normal and malignant plasma cells and represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention. In this study, we characterized the mechanism underlying the protein kinase B (Akt) and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) pathways and BCMA interactions in regulating multiple myeloma (MM) cell survival. It was found that the expression levels of B cell‐activating factor (BAFF) and BCMA were increased in MM cells as compared with those in normal controls. The proliferation of U266 cells was induced by recombinant human BAFF (rhBAFF) and could also be decreased by BCMA siRNA. The expression of Bcl‐2 protein was up‐regulated, and Bax protein was down‐regulated after rhBAFF treatment, which could be reversed by BCMA siRNA. Similarly, the protein p‐JNK and p‐Akt were activated by rhBAFF and could be changed by BCMA siRNA. In addition, the BCMA mRNA and protein expression levels were decreased after treatment with Akt and JNK pathway inhibitors. These results suggest that Akt and JNK pathways are involved in the regulation of BCMA. A novel BAFF/BCMA signalling pathway in MM may be a new therapeutic target for MM. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effects of maturation on self-induced dynamic body sway frequencies of girls performing acrobatics or classical dance

We investigated the effects of maturation on the dynamic body sways of healthy girls. Prepubertal and postpubertal girls practising professional physical activities requiring a good ability to maintain equilibrium (acrobats and dancers) were asked to stand on a free seesaw platform and the results compared to those for untrained age-matched girls. This platform (stabilometer) allows self-induced body sways. Stabilograms were obtained by a double integration of the angular acceleration from the recordings of the platform sways made with an accelerometer. Fast Fourier transform processing of stabilograms allowed spectral frequency analysis. The total spectrum energy and the energies of three frequency bands (0–0.5 Hz, 0.5–2 Hz, 2–20 Hz) were determined. ANOVA showed that, for all groups of different equilibrium activity and independent of visual input, prepubertal girls had higher energy values than postpubertal girls in the 0- to 0.5-Hz band whereas the opposite was true for 0.5- to 2-Hz band. Ballet dancers were more dependent than acrobats on visual inputs for the regulation of their postural control but were less dependent than untrained girls at both ages. Maturation seemed to shift body sways towards higher frequencies and the utilization of the cues of postural control was different according to the type of equilibrium activity practised by the subjects. Accepted: 7 February 1997     

Filipin-sterol complexes in golden hamster sperm membranes with special reference to epididymal maturation

Summary The distribution of membrane filipin-sterol complexes (FSCs) was qualitatively surveyed on freeze-fracture replicas of spermatozoa from the male reproductive tract and ejaculates of golden hamster. In the head, the acrosomal plasma membrane showed the strongest filipin labeling on the principal segment, but it was absent in the quilt-like pattern areas. These latter were observed in both caput and corpus epididymal spermatozoa, but were absent in mature spermatozoa. The postacrosomal plasma membrane had few FSCs and both the outer and inner acrosomal membranes were always negative to filipin. The nuclear membrane of the principal segment was constantly filipinpositive. The nuclear membrane of the postacrosomal region had more FSCs than that of the principal segment, particularly in mature spermatozoa. Many linear, rod-like FSCs were observed on the postacrosomal nuclear membrane of mature spermatozoa, especially in the uterine spermatozoan samples. In the neck, the plasma membrane had only a few FSCs. The redundant nuclear membrane was slightly filipin-positive, while the membrane scroll of mature spermatozoa was heavily labeled. In the tail, the plasma membrane of both the middle and principal piece was moderately labeled.     

Rise in age of sexual maturation in male Japanese monkeys at Takasakiyama in relation to nutritional conditions

A few reports have suggested the possibility that feeding conditions might affect the sexual maturation of free-ranging Japanese monkeys in provisionized troops. In the present study, the sexual maturation of male monkeys at Takasakiyama in 1984, nine years after the start of restriction of artificial feeding, was examined externally and histologically and the results were compared with data obtained in 1971, when artificial foods were abundantly given. Spermatogenesis was not observed in any of the males under 4.5 years old in the present study, whereas it was noted in some premature 3.5-year-old males and in all males over 4.5 years old in the 1971 study. The age of sexual maturation thus rose by one or more years over the 13-year period from 1971 to 1984. The lag in sexual maturation of the males at Takasakiyama in 1984 could have been induced by the restriction of artificial feeding.     

重组红细胞生成素对小鼠巨核细胞后期成熟及血小板生成的影响

本文应用血小板生成液体培养体系,检测了重组人红细胞生成素(r-EPO)对巨核细胞成熟及血小板生成的影响。r-EPO 能在1U 至6~U/ml 浓度范围内增加体系血小板数,r-EPO剂量与血小板数之间呈线性关系。r-EPO 还能促进巨核细胞 DNA 合成,并使 Ⅱ、Ⅳ 期巨核细胞比例增加,Ⅰ、Ⅱ 期巨核细胞比例减少。结果表明:r-EPO 可以促进巨核细胞成熟,并作为一种主要刺激因子,以增加血小板数的方式促进血小板生成。     

Maturation characteristics of Rubus pennsylvanicus fruit: are black and red the same?

Summary Fruit of the blackberry, Rubus pennsylvanicus Poir. (Rosaceae), were examined to determine variation in maturation characteristics. Maturation timing and rate varied greatly among individual fruits, resulting in a bi-colored fruiting display comprised largely of two maturation stages, pre-ripe (salmon and scarlet) and ripe (dark brown and black). While ripe fruit were generally larger and heavier than pre-ripe fruit, exhibiting greater fresh and dry fruit weight, diameter, water content, and total seed weight, no significant differences were found in energy content, i.e. numbers of calories per gram pulp, or in pulp:seed ratio. The differences between ripe and pre-ripe fruit appear to be due largely to an increase in water content and seed weight with maturity. The fact that little energetic benefit accrues to the preferential selection of ripe fruit suggests that bi-colored Rubus displays may be considered to be unicolored.     

Gonadotropin-induced murine oocyte maturation in vivo is not associated with decreased cyclic adenosine monophosphate in the oocyte-cumulus cell complex

The cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) content of intact oocyte-cumulus cell complexes at various times after the induction of oocyte maturation in mice in vivo was correlated with the time of commitment by the oocytes to undergo germinal vesicle breakdown (GVB) and metabolic coupling between the oocyte and cumulus cells. Seventy-nine percent of the oocytes either underwent GVB or were committed to do so by 2 h after injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This occurred without a decrease in the coupling between cumulus cells and the oocyte and with increasing cAMP levels in the oocyte-cumulus cell complex. Maintenance of threshold levels of cAMP within mammalian oocytes appears essential for the maintenance of meiotic arrest, but data presented here suggest that oocyte maturation in mice is induced by gonadotropins in nonatretic follicles in vivo by some mechanism other than one which decreases the cAMP content of the intact oocyte-cumulus cell complex.     

Effect of defolliculation and 17α-hydroxy, 20β-dihydroprogesterone on cyclic AMP level in full-grown oocytes of the rainbow trout,Salmo gairdneri

The changes in cAMP were followed in trout oocytes incubated in vitro after defolliculation performed by either enzymatic or manual dissection. Both defolliculation methods induced a highly significant rise in oocyte cAMP level (4.5 times the basal level of control [follicle-enclosed oocytes], after 6 h). Treatment of defolliculated oocytes with 17α-hydroxy,20β-dihydroprogesterone (17α,20β-OH-P) (10^?6 M), which induced oocyte maturation (germinal vesicle breakdown [GVBD]) was able, first, to interrupt the increase of oocyte cAMP level promoted by defolliculation and then to lower this level significantly down to values that still remained higher than folliculated controls. Very low concentrations of 17α,20β-OH-P (1.38–55.6 10^?9 M), or physiological doses of testosterone (0.35 10^?6 M, in the range found in vivo before ovulation) were able to induce a similar decrease of oocyte cAMP level without inducing GVBD. Under the same experimental conditions estradiol (0.35 10^?6 M) exhibited no action. These results suggest that some factor(s) originating in the follicle (FIF), inhibit the oocytes' tendency to accumulate cAMP before the final surge of 17α,20β-OH-P. This factor might be a follicular steroid such as testosterone or nonmaturing concentrations of 17α,20β-OH-P. Moreover our data favour the hypothesis that the final surge of 17α,20β-OH-P could induce distinct intraoocyte mechanisms: the first induces an irreversible blockage of cAMP level before the inhibitory action of the FIF is suppressed by ovulation, and the second mechanism leads to GVBD.     

Altricial and precocial mammals: A model of neural and muscular development

This model of growth offers a quantitative definition for altricial and precocial newborns, makes muscular strength a benchmark for locomotor independence, and discriminates related genera as well as genera across major taxonomic divides. The model contrasts four theoretical conditions of the neonate (I, small brain, weak musculature; II, small brain, strong musculature; III, large brain, weak musculature; IV, large brain, strong musculature) with species from three orders of placental mammal. Each species exhibits a distinct mother-infant strategy from the altricial red panda cub (condition I) and the golden lion tamarin (condition III) to the precocial wildebeest calf (condition IV). The model proposes that early growth rates of brain and muscle correlate with nutrition, maternal effort during gestation and lactation, and parental care, whereas postnatal muscular growth correlates directly with adult body size and locomotor repertoire. An example of condition II (small brain, strong musculature) has not been found. This suggests that muscle does not grow in advance of the brain and that the brain acts as a pacemaker of growth. In order to increase our understanding of exotic species, noninvasive measures (body weight and length) and observations (opening of the eyes and ears, hair density, weaning, and the abilities to ther-moregulate and to move) should be supplemented with analysis of the differential tissue and organ growth. In both theoretical and practical ways analysis of deceased individuals contributes to the understanding of all species.