Calpains, the proteases of two faces controlling the epithelial homeostasis in mammary gland

Calpain-1 and calpain-2 are calcium-dependent Cys-proteases ubiquitously expressed in mammalian tissues with a processive, rather than degradative activity. They are crucial for physiological mammary gland homeostasis as well as for breast cancer progression. A growing number of evidences indicate that their pleiotropic functions depend on the cell type, tissue and biological context where they are expressed or dysregulated. This review considers these standpoints to cover the paradoxical role of calpain-1 and -2 in the mammary tissue either, under the physiological conditions of the postlactational mammary gland regression or the pathological context of breast cancer. The role of both calpains will be examined and discussed in both conditions, followed by a brief snapshot on the present and future challenges for calpains, the two-gateway proteases towards tissue homeostasis or tumor development

Activación de las calpaínas en la glándula mamaria tras el destete: identificación mediante Proteómica de nuevas dianas

Comunicaciones a congreso

Amphiregulin: An early trigger of liver regeneration in mice

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Liver regeneration is a unique response directed to restore liver mass after resection or injury. The survival and proliferative signals triggered during this process are conveyed by a complex network of cytokines and growth factors acting in an orderly manner. Activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor is thought to play an important role in liver regeneration. Amphiregulin is a member of the epidermal growth factor family whose expression is not detectable in healthy liver. We have investigated the expression of amphiregulin in liver injury and its role during liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy. METHODS: Amphiregulin gene expression was examined in healthy and cirrhotic human and rat liver, in rodent liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy, and in primary hepatocytes. The proliferative effects and intracellular signaling of amphiregulin were studied in isolated hepatocytes. The in vivo role of amphiregulin in liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy was analyzed in amphiregulin-null mice. RESULTS: Amphiregulin gene expression is detected in chronically injured human and rat liver and is rapidly induced after partial hepatectomy in rodents. Amphiregulin expression is induced in isolated hepatocytes by interleukin 1beta and prostaglandin E(2), but not by hepatocyte growth factor, interleukin 6, or tumor necrosis factor alpha. We show that amphiregulin behaves as a primary mitogen for isolated hepatocytes, acting through the epidermal growth factor receptor. Finally, amphiregulin-null mice display impaired proliferative responses after partial liver resection. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that amphiregulin is an early-response growth factor that may contribute to the initial phases of liver regeneration

Methylthioadenosine reverses brain autoimmune disease

OBJECTIVE: To assess the immunomodulatory activity of methylthioadenosine (MTA) in rodent experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and in patients with multiple sclerosis. METHODS: We studied the effect of intraperitoneal MTA in the acute and chronic EAE model by quantifying clinical and histological scores and by performing immunohistochemistry stains of the brain. We studied the immunomodulatory effect of MTA in lymphocytes from EAE animals and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy control subjects and multiple sclerosis patients by assessing cell proliferation and cytokine gene expression, by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and by nuclear factor-kappaB modulation by Western blot. RESULTS: We found that MTA prevents acute EAE and, more importantly, reverses chronic-relapsing EAE. MTA treatment markedly inhibited brain inflammation and reduced brain damage. Administration of MTA suppressed T-cell activation in vivo and in vitro, likely through a blockade in T-cell signaling resulting in the prevention of inhibitor of kappa B (IkappaB-alpha) degradation and in the impaired activation transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB. Indeed, MTA suppressed the production of proinflammatory genes and cytokines (interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and inducible nitric oxide synthase) and increased the production of antiinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-10). INTERPRETATION: MTA has a remarkable immunomodulatory activity and may be beneficial for multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases

Identification of circulating miRNAs differentially expressed in patients with Limb-girdle, Duchenne or facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophies

Abstract Background Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) is a rare neuromuscular disease including a growing and heterogeneous number of subtypes with variable phenotype. Their clinical and histopathological characteristics frequently overlap with other neuromuscular dystrophies. Our goal was to identify, by a non-invasive method, a molecular signature including biochemical and epigenetic parameters with potential value for patient prognosis and stratification. Results Circulating miRNome was obtained by smallRNA-seq in plasma from LGMD patients (n = 6) and matched-controls (n = 6). Data, validated by qPCR in LGMD samples, were also examined in other common muscular dystrophies: Duchenne (DMD) (n = 5) and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) (n = 4). Additionally, biochemical and clinical parameters were analyzed. miRNome analysis showed that thirteen differentially expressed miRs could separate LGMD vs control group by hierarchical clustering. Most of differentially expressed miRs in LGMD patients were up-regulated (miR-122-5p, miR-122b-3p, miR-6511a-3p, miR-192-5p, miR-574-3p, mir-885-3p, miR-29a-3p, miR-4646-3p, miR-203a-3p and miR-203b-5p) whilst only three of sequenced miRs were significantly down-regulated (miR-19b-3p, miR-7706, miR-323b-3p) when compared to matched controls. Bioinformatic analysis of target genes revealed cell cycle, muscle tissue development, regeneration and senescence as the most affected pathways. Four of these circulating miRs (miR-122-5p, miR-192-5p, miR-19b-3p and miR-323b-3p), together with the myomiR miR-206, were further analysed by qPCR in LGMD, DMD and FSHD. The receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) revealed high area under the curve (AUC) values for selected miRs in all groups, indicating that these miRs have good sensitivity and specificity to distinguish LGMD, DMD and FSHD patients from healthy controls. miR-122-5p, miR-192-5p and miR-323-3p were differentially expressed compared to matched-controls in all groups but apparently, each type of muscular dystrophy showed a specific pattern of miR expression. Finally, a strong correlation between miRs and biochemical data was only found in LGMD patients: while miR-192-5p and miR-122-5p negatively correlated with CK, miR-192-5p positively correlated with vitamin D3 and ALP. Conclusions Although limited by the small number of patients included in this study, we propose here a specific combination of circulating miR-122-5p/miR-192-5p/miR-323-3 and biochemical parameters as a potential molecular signature whose clinical value for LGMD patient prognosis and stratification should be further confirmed in a larger cohort of patients