765 research outputs found

    Recruitment, augmentation and apoptosis of rat osteoclasts in 1,25-(OH)2D3 response to short-term treatment with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3in vivo

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    Background Although much is known about the regulation of osteoclast (OC) formation and activity, little is known about OC senescence. In particular, the fate of of OC seen after 1,25-(OH)2D3 administration in vivo is unclear. There is evidence that the normal fate of OC is to undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death). We have investigated the effect of short-term application of high dose 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) on OC apoptosis in an experimental rat model. Methods OC recruitment, augmentation and apoptosis was visualised and quantitated by staining histochemically for tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), double staining for TRAP/ED1 or TRAP/DAPI, in situ DNA fragmentation end labelling and histomorphometric analysis. Results Short-term treatment with high-dose 1,25-(OH)2D3 increased the recruitment of OC precursors in the bone marrow resulting in a short-lived increase in OC numbers. This was rapidly followed by an increase in the number of apoptotic OC and their subsequent removal. The response of OC to 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment was dose and site dependent; higher doses producing stronger, more rapid responses and the response in the tibiae being consistently stronger and more rapid than in the vertebrae. Conclusions This study demonstrates that (1) after recruitment, OC are removed from the resorption site by apoptosis (2) the combined use of TRAP and ED1 can be used to identify OC and their precursors in vivo (3) double staining for TRAP and DAPI or in situ DNA fragmentation end labelling can be used to identify apoptotic OC in vivo

    Optoelectronic analogue signal transfer for LHC detectors, 1991

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    We propose to study and develop opto-electronic analogue front-ends based on electro-optic intensity modulators. These devices translate the detector electrical analogue signals into optical signals which are then transferred via optical fibres to photodetector receivers at the remote readout. In comparison with conventional solutions based on copper cables, this technique offers the advantages of high speed, very low power dissipation and transmission losses, compactness and immunity to electromagnetic interference. The linearity and dynamic range that can be obtained are more than adequate for central tracking detectors, and the proposed devices have considerable radiation- hardness capabilities. The large bandwidth and short transit times offer possibilities for improved triggering schemes. The proposed R&D programme is aimed at producing multi-channel "demonstrator" units for evaluation both in laboratory and beam tests. This will allow the choice of the most effective technology. A detailed study will also be carried out on packaging and interconnection to large arrays of fibres, as well as on the optimization of the processes for the production of large quantities

    Genome-wide association scan meta-analysis identifies three Loci influencing adiposity and fat distribution.

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    To identify genetic loci influencing central obesity and fat distribution, we performed a meta-analysis of 16 genome-wide association studies (GWAS, N = 38,580) informative for adult waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR). We selected 26 SNPs for follow-up, for which the evidence of association with measures of central adiposity (WC and/or WHR) was strong and disproportionate to that for overall adiposity or height. Follow-up studies in a maximum of 70,689 individuals identified two loci strongly associated with measures of central adiposity; these map near TFAP2B (WC, P = 1.9x10(-11)) and MSRA (WC, P = 8.9x10(-9)). A third locus, near LYPLAL1, was associated with WHR in women only (P = 2.6x10(-8)). The variants near TFAP2B appear to influence central adiposity through an effect on overall obesity/fat-mass, whereas LYPLAL1 displays a strong female-only association with fat distribution. By focusing on anthropometric measures of central obesity and fat distribution, we have identified three loci implicated in the regulation of human adiposity

    Detailed Investigation of the Role of Common and Low-Frequency WFS1 Variants in Type 2 Diabetes Risk

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    OBJECTIVE: Wolfram syndrome 1 (WFS1) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. In this study we aimed to refine this association and investigate the role of low-frequency WFS1 variants in type 2 diabetes risk. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: For fine-mapping, we sequenced WFS1 exons, splice junctions, and conserved noncoding sequences in samples from 24 type 2 diabetic case and 68 control subjects, selected tagging SNPs, and genotyped these in 959 U.K. type 2 diabetic case and 1,386 control subjects. The same genomic regions were sequenced in samples from 1,235 type 2 diabetic case and 1,668 control subjects to compare the frequency of rarer variants between case and control subjects. RESULTS: Of 31 tagging SNPs, the strongest associated was the previously untested 3' untranslated region rs1046320 (P = 0.008); odds ratio 0.84 and P = 6.59 x 10(-7) on further replication in 3,753 case and 4,198 control subjects. High correlation between rs1046320 and the original strongest SNP (rs10010131) (r2 = 0.92) meant that we could not differentiate between their effects in our samples. There was no difference in the cumulative frequency of 82 rare (minor allele frequency [MAF] 100,000) or studies in ethnically diverse populations. Low frequency variants in WFS1 are unlikely to have a large impact on type 2 diabetes risk in white U.K. populations, highlighting the complexities of undertaking association studies with low-frequency variants identified by resequencing

    Ethnicity and prediction of cardiovascular disease: performance of QRISK2 and Framingham scores in a U.K. tri-ethnic prospective cohort study (SABRE--Southall And Brent REvisited).

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    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate QRISK2 and Framingham cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk scores in a tri-ethnic U.K. population. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: West London. PARTICIPANTS: Randomly selected from primary care lists. Follow-up data were available for 87% of traced participants, comprising 1866 white Europeans, 1377 South Asians, and 578 African Caribbeans, aged 40-69 years at baseline (1998-1991). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: First CVD events: myocardial infarction, coronary revascularisation, angina, transient ischaemic attack or stroke reported by participant, primary care or hospital records or death certificate. RESULTS: During follow-up, 387 CVD events occurred in men (14%) and 78 in women (8%). Both scores underestimated risk in European and South Asian women (ratio of predicted to observed risk: European women: QRISK2: 0.73, Framingham: 0.73; South Asian women: QRISK2: 0.52, Framingham: 0.43). In African Caribbeans, Framingham over-predicted in men and women and QRISK2 over-predicted in women. Framingham classified 28% of participants as high risk, predicting 54% of all such events. QRISK2 classified 19% as high risk, predicting 42% of all such events. Both scores performed poorly in identifying high risk African Caribbeans; QRISK2 and Framingham identified as high risk only 10% and 24% of those who experienced events. CONCLUSIONS: Neither score performed consistently well in all ethnic groups. Further validation of QRISK2 in other multi-ethnic datasets, and better methods for identifying high risk African Caribbeans and South Asian women, are required

    Genetički polimorfizmi u dijabetesu: Utjecaj na terapiju oralnim antidijabeticima

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    Due to new genetic insights, etiologic classification of diabetes is under constant scrutiny. Hundreds, or even thousands, of genes are linked with type 2 diabetes. Three common variants (Lys23 of KCNJ11, Pro12 of PPARG, and the T allele at rs7903146 of TCF7L2) have been shown to be predisposed to type 2 diabetes mellitus across many large studies. Individually, each of these polymorphisms is only moderately predisposed to type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, monogenic forms of diabetes such as MODY and neonatal diabetes are characterized by unique clinical features and the possibility of applying a tailored treatment. Genetic polymorphisms in drug-metabolizing enzymes, transporters, receptors, and other drug targets have been linked to interindividual differences in the efficacy and toxicity of a number of medications. Mutations in genes important in drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) play a critical role in pharmacogenetics of diabetes. There are currently five major classes of oral pharmacological agents available to treat type 2 diabetes: sulfonylureas, meglitinides, metformin (a biguanide), thiazolidinediones, and α-glucosidase inhibitors. Other classes are also mentioned in literature. In this work, different types of genetic mutations (mutations of the gene for glucokinase, HNF 1, HNF1ß and Kir6.2 and SUR1 subunit of KATP channel, PPAR-γ, OCT1 and OCT2, cytochromes, direct drug-receptor (KCNJ11), as well as the factors that influence the development of the disease (TCF7L2) and variants of genes that lead to hepatosteatosis caused by thiazolidinediones) and their influence on the response to therapy with oral antidiabetics will be reviewed.Dijabetes tipa 2 dosegao je proporcije epidemije u SAD (> 18 milijuna) i cijelom svijetu (170 milijuna oboljelih osoba) te ima tendenciju daljnjeg dramatičnog rasta. Stoga se u posljednje vrijeme ulažu napori da se otkriju i razviju novi farmakološki agensi za liječenje ove bolesti. Klasifikacija šećerne bolesti proširena je uspjesima istraživača na području genetike. Da bismo razumjeli farmakogenetiku antidijabetika neophodno je razumjeti genetiku samog dijabetesa. Kao što će biti prikazano u ovom radu veliki broj gena koji su povezani s razvojem dijabetesa takođe utječu i na odgovor na terapiju antidijabeticima. S druge strane, mutacije gena koji utječu na ADME (apsorpcija, distribucija, metabolizam i ekskrecija) lijeka imaju značajan utjecaj na farmakogenetiku oralnih antidijabetika. Utvrđeno je da je dijabetes genetički heterogena bolest. Uobičajeni oblici dijabetesa su gotovo uvijek poligenski i za razvoj same bolesti vrlo su značajne snažne interakcije među različitim genima kao i između gena i okoliša. Zbog toga mutacije ili polimorfizmi koji u manjoj mjeri utječu na funkciju gena mogu postati klinički značajni samo u slučaju kada se kombiniraju s drugim faktorima odnosno genima. Smatra se da u razvoju dijabetesa mogu sudjelovati stotine pa čak i tisuće gena. Do 2006. identificirano je nekoliko uobičajenih alela koji povećavaju rizik za razvoj dijabetesa, od kojih su najznačajniji PPARG (Pro12), KCNJ11 (Lys23) i TCF7L2 (T na rs7903146). Do danas je najveći uspjeh postignut u identifikaciji gena odgovornih za razmjerno rijetke oblike ove bolesti poput ”Maturity-onset diabetes of the young” (MODY) i neonatalnog dijabetesa. Monogenske oblike dijabetesa odlikuju jedinstvene kliničke karakteristike i mogućnost primjene individualnog tretmana. Genetički polimorfizmi enzima koji utječu na metabolizam lijekova, transportera, receptora i drugih ciljeva djelovanja lijekova povezani su s interindividualnim razlikama u efikasnosti i toksičnosti mnogih lijekova. Vrlo je važno da se na temelju farmakogenetičkih istraživanja mogu predvidjeti neki neželjeni efekti lijekova. Trenutačno postoji pet glavnih klasa oralnih antidijabetika: sulfoniluree, meglitinidi, metformin (bigvanid), tiazolidindioni i inhibitori α-glukozidaze. U literaturi se također spominju inhibitori dipeptidil peptidaze IV (DPP-IV), selektivni antagonisti kanabinoidnog receptora 1 (CB-1), glukagonu slični peptid 1 mimetici i amilin mimetici. Razumijevanje mehanizama koji rezultiraju disfunkcijom β stanica na fiziološkom i molekularnom nivou neophodno je za napredak u razumijevanju tretmana dijabetesa. U ovom radu dat je pregled različitih genetičkih mutacija (mutacije gena za glukokinazu, HNF 1, HNF1ß, Kir6.2 i SUR 1 podjedinicu KATP kanala ß stanica, PPAR-γ, OCT1 i OCT2, citohrome, KCNJ11, faktore koji utječu na razvoj bolesti (TCF7L2) i varijante gena koji dovode do hepatosteatoze uzrokovane tiazolidindionima) te njihov utjecaj na odgovor na terapiju oralnim antidijabeticima

    Hundreds of variants clustered in genomic loci and biological pathways affect human height

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    Most common human traits and diseases have a polygenic pattern of inheritance: DNA sequence variants at many genetic loci influence the phenotype. Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have identified more than 600 variants associated with human traits, but these typically explain small fractions of phenotypic variation, raising questions about the use of further studies. Here, using 183,727 individuals, we show that hundreds of genetic variants, in at least 180 loci, influence adult height, a highly heritable and classic polygenic trait. The large number of loci reveals patterns with important implications for genetic studies of common human diseases and traits. First, the 180 loci are not random, but instead are enriched for genes that are connected in biological pathways (P = 0.016) and that underlie skeletal growth defects (P < 0.001). Second, the likely causal gene is often located near the most strongly associated variant: in 13 of 21 loci containing a known skeletal growth gene, that gene was closest to the associated variant. Third, at least 19 loci have multiple independently associated variants, suggesting that allelic heterogeneity is a frequent feature of polygenic traits, that comprehensive explorations of already-discovered loci should discover additional variants and that an appreciable fraction of associated loci may have been identified. Fourth, associated variants are enriched for likely functional effects on genes, being over-represented among variants that alter amino-acid structure of proteins and expression levels of nearby genes. Our data explain approximately 10% of the phenotypic variation in height, and we estimate that unidentified common variants of similar effect sizes would increase this figure to approximately 16% of phenotypic variation (approximately 20% of heritable variation). Although additional approaches are needed to dissect the genetic architecture of polygenic human traits fully, our findings indicate that GWA studies can identify large numbers of loci that implicate biologically relevant genes and pathways.
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