Markedly enhanced intratumoral spread and antitumor effect of oncolytic adenovirus expressing decorin

With the aim of improving viral distribution and tumor penetration, we have engineered decorin expressing replication-incompetent (dl-LacZ-DCNG) and -competent (Ad-[DELTA]E1B-DCNG) adenoviruses. In both tumor spheroids and established solid tumors in vivo, administration of dl-LacZ-DCNG resulted in greater transduction efficiency and viral spread throughout the tumor mass. Ad-[DELTA]E1B-DCNG also enhanced viral distribution and tumor spread, leading to an increased anti-tumor effect and survival advantage. Upon histological analysis, Ad-[DELTA]E1B-DCNG also elicited greater percentage of apoptotic cells and extensive necrosis compared to those from untreated or control virus-treated tumors. Furthermore, Ad-[DELTA]E1B-DCNG substantially decreased extracellular matrix components within the tumor tissue, while normal tissue adjacent to the tumor was not affected. Finally, intratumoral administration of Ad-[DELTA]E1B-DCNG did not enhance but inhibited the formation of pulmonary metastases of B16BL6 melanoma cells in mice. Taken together, these data demonstrate the utility of decorin as a dispersion agent and suggest its utility and potential in improving the efficacy of replicating adenovirus-mediated cancer gene therapy

Capsaicin, a spicy component of hot peppers, modulates adipokine gene expression and protein release from obese-mouse adipose tissues and isolated adipocytes, and suppresses the inflammatory responses of adipose tissue macrophages

AbstractAdipokines are involved in the obesity-induced chronic inflammatory response that plays a crucial role in the development of obesity-related pathologies such as type II diabetes and atherosclerosis. We here demonstrate that capsaicin, a naturally occurring phytochemical, can suppress obesity-induced inflammation by modulating adipokine release from and macrophage behavior in obese mice adipose tissues. Capsaicin inhibited the expressions of IL-6 and MCP-1 mRNAs and protein release from the adipose tissues and adipocytes of obese mice, whereas it enhanced the expression of the adiponectin gene and protein. The action of capsaicin is associated with NF-κB inactivation and/or PPARγ activation. Moreover, capsaicin suppressed not only macrophage migration induced by the adipose tissue-conditioned medium, but also macrophage activation to release proinflammatory mediators. Capsaicin may be a useful phytochemical for attenuating obesity-induced inflammation and obesity-related complications

Neurosphere formation potential resides not in the caudal cell mass, but in the secondary neural tube

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A Case of Congenital Common Bile Duct Web Treated with Balloon Dilation under Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in a Young Child

Web in common bile duct (CBD web) is very rare. It is usually asymptomatic and detected incidentally during surgery for other causes in adults. It can be congenital or acquired, however congenital CBD web is extremely rare. Currently, despite its invasiveness and complications, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is considered as a useful diagnostic and therapeutic modality in children with hepatobiliary pancreatic diseases as in adults. Herein we report a case of congenital CBD web presenting with acute pancreatitis and choledocholithiasis in a 4-year-old girl which was diagnosed and treated using balloon dilation under ERCP. After balloon dilation of the web, a common pancreatobiliary channel was observed. To the best of our knowledge, a case of congenital CBD web with pancreatobiliary junctional abnormality treated using ERCP in a child has not been reported to date

Differential effect of NF-κB activity on β-catenin/Tcf pathway in various cancer cells

Abstractβ-Catenin/Tcf and NF-κB pathways play an important role in biological functions. We determined the underlying mechanisms of differential interaction between two pathways in various human cancer cell lines. NF-κB positively regulated β-catenin/Tcf pathways in human glioblastoma, whereas it has an opposite effect on β-catenin/Tcf pathways in colon, liver, and breast cancer cells. Expression of lucine zipper tumor suppressor 2 (lzts2) was positively regulated by NF-κB activity in colon, liver, and breast cancer cells, whereas negatively regulated in glioma cells. Downregulation of lzts2 increased the β-catenin/Tcf promoter activity and inhibited NF-κB-induced modulation of the nuclear translocation of β-catenin. These data indicate that the differential crosstalk between β-catenin/Tcf and NF-κB pathway in various cancer cells is resulted from the differences in the regulation of NF-κB-induced lzts2 expression